Trump administration sought phone records of NYT journalists' relatives in leak probe over Qatari-gifted Air Force One

The leak investigation

The Trump administration launched a leak investigation shortly after The New York Times published articles on July 8 and 9, 2026, detailing security concerns about the president's new Air Force One jet, a gift from Qatar. The reporting revealed that the Qatari-built plane lacked defensive countermeasures, including antimissile capabilities, present on the older model. President Trump, angered by the coverage, directed FBI Director Kash Patel to oversee the probe, according to the Times. The White House referred all inquiries to the Justice Department, which did not respond to requests for comment.

Subpoenas target journalists and families

The Department of Justice initially issued subpoenas on July 10 compelling three Times reporters, Julian Barnes, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt, to testify before a federal grand jury. Later, the government sought phone records from telecommunications providers for multiple journalists, covering call and text message data. The effort extended to relatives: the mother of one reporter, a mental health professional with confidential client relationships, and the spouses of two journalists, one of whom serves as general counsel of a major law firm. The subpoenas demanded records starting January 1, 2026, months before the articles were published.

That timeframe strongly suggests that the Department is using this investigation not to focus on any purported concerns arising from the July 8 and 9 articles, but instead to forage for information about the Journalists' source relationships more broadly.

Legal challenge and arguments

The Times filed a motion to quash the subpoenas on July 18, arguing they violate First Amendment protections and the Justice Department's own internal regulations. The motion, unsealed by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan on July 20, contends that the government failed to notify journalists before seeking their records and did not exhaust other investigative avenues. The newspaper's lawyers described the actions as "an abuse of the grand jury process" and "continued bad faith attacks on the Journalists." The DOJ maintains that the subpoenas were issued in compliance with federal law and that reporters are not the targets.

To be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.

Reactions and press freedom concerns

Freedom of the Press Foundation chief of advocacy Seth Stern condemned the targeting of relatives, stating it has "nothing to do with national security and everything to do with chilling journalism." He added that even organized crime considers families off limits. The Times noted that the additional subpoenas were issued after the paper had already sued to block the initial ones, suggesting an escalation. The reporters affected include Eric Lipton, who also contributed to the Air Force One coverage.

Even the Mafia says families are off limits. It's gross that the administration -- in its never-ending effort to harass and intimidate reporters who reveal its incompetence -- is going after the communications of journalists' relatives.

What happens next

A court hearing on the motion to quash is scheduled for July 23 before Judge Subramanian. Meanwhile, Trump told reporters on July 19 that the Qatari-gifted plane is being taken out of service. The case is likely to become a major test of press freedom protections under the Trump administration.