The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal leak investigation after The New York Times reported that a Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar and used as the new Air Force One lacked certain defensive capabilities, prompting the Secret Service to recommend President Donald Trump switch to an older aircraft during a return journey from a NATO summit in Ankara. The Justice Department subsequently issued grand jury subpoenas to three Times reporters, demanding they identify confidential sources. The newspaper filed an emergency motion in federal court in Manhattan to quash the subpoenas, arguing they were issued in bad faith to punish its coverage.

According to the White House, the disclosures endangered the safety of the president, his staff and the travelling press corps, and constitute a threat to national security. The Justice Department maintains that the investigation targets government employees suspected of leaking classified information, not the journalists themselves. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, during his Senate confirmation hearing, described the reporters as material witnesses, comparing their role to that of a bystander to a car crash. The New York Times contends the subpoenas violate constitutional press freedoms and represent an improper attempt to compel disclosure of sources. Press freedom advocates in the United States view the move as an escalation of the administration’s broader campaign against anonymous sourcing, noting that a Biden-era policy limiting prosecutors’ ability to seize journalists’ records was reversed earlier this year.

The investigation is being personally directed by FBI Director Kash Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who, according to officials briefed on the matter, established a dedicated operations room at the White House. Investigators have sought to interview passengers and Secret Service agents who accompanied Trump on the trip and have requested access to their mobile phones; some officials declined to hand over their devices. The security concerns, first detailed by the Times, centred on the absence of advanced anti-missile systems and other protective features on the Qatari jet, which was donated in 2025 and is valued at approximately $400 million. Trump publicly denied that security considerations prompted the aircraft swap, stating he used the older plane for “old times’ sake.”

The legal standoff is now before the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, where the Times’ motion has temporarily halted the grand jury testimony. The court’s ruling is expected to set a significant precedent for reporter-source confidentiality in national security leak cases. The administration has signalled it will pursue all legal avenues to identify the leakers, while the Times has asked the court to unseal the filings, arguing the public has a right to information about the case.