The administration seeks phone records from New York Times journalists to identify sources who reported on security concerns regarding the new Air Force One jet.

The administration is seeking phone records from several New York Times journalists and their relatives to unmask confidential sources who reported on the security deficiencies of the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. The move follows a period of contention between the executive branch and the press, as the Justice Department issued subpoenas to identify those who leaked information about the $400 million aircraft. While the administration defended the subpoenas as being in full compliance with federal law, the New York Times filed a motion to quash the records, labeling the government's actions as "bad faith" attempts to intimidate reporters. The new jet was reportedly rushed into service and lacked some of the advanced security features found on the older model, which President Trump used to depart from a NATO summit in Turkey. To address these concerns, the administration announced that the new plane will undergo approximately one month of upgrades this fall, during which time President Trump will continue to fly on the older aircraft.

Sources