Trump Administration Seeks Phone Records of New York Times Journalists

The Justice Department, under President Donald Trump, issued a series of subpoenas targeting phone records of three New York Times reporters and, in separate requests, the records of a reporter’s mother and two spouses. The subpoenas were filed after the newspaper published July 8 and 9 stories about the Qatar-gifted Air Force One jet. Two of the requests demand records dating back to January 1, 2026—well before the articles’ publication—suggesting a broader effort to uncover source relationships. The subpoenas arrived on July 10, the same day grand-jury subpoenas were served, with additional requests issued the following day and on July 16, after the Times moved to quash the grand-jury subpoenas.

Associated Press

The Qatar-gifted aircraft, retrofitted at a cost of $400 million, entered service shortly before the Times reported that the Secret Service urged President Trump to use an older Air Force One for a NATO summit in Turkey, citing missing advanced security features. Earlier this year, the FBI searched a Washington Post reporter’s home and seized electronic devices, illustrating a pattern of aggressive leak investigations by the administration.

Associated Press

The Justice Department asserted that “any subpoena issued by the Department of Justice is done so in full compliance with federal law and internal Department policy.” It framed the action as targeting “leaking classified information,” not the reporters themselves. At his confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, “we followed the protocols” and that the government took “the least intrusive possible” steps. The Times’ lawyers contend the subpoenas violate internal DOJ guidelines, noting the lack of advance notice and the inclusion of family members whose professions—such as a mental-health provider—carry additional confidentiality concerns.

Associated Press

Press-freedom advocates argue the subpoenas constitute “abuse of the grand jury process” and “bad-faith attacks on the journalists,” threatening First Amendment protections. The motion to quash emphasizes that the requests “disregard the law in this Circuit intended to protect critical First Amendment interests,” highlighting broader concerns about governmental intimidation of news organizations.

Associated Press

• “Two of the subpoenas seek records beginning on January 1, 2026, long before the events that are purportedly the basis for the Department’s investigation,” — Lawyers for The New York Times

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• “we followed the protocols” — Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney, Manhattan

Associated Press

• “Any subpoena issued by the Department of Justice is done so in full compliance with federal law and internal Department policy.” — Department of Justice spokesperson

Associated Press

• “These actions demonstrate abuse of the grand jury process, continued bad faith attacks on the Journalists, violations of the Department’s own internal regulations and disregard for the law in this Circuit intended to protect critical First Amendment interests,” — Lawyers for The New York Times

Associated Press