The Trump administration issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists on Friday, after the NYT reported on security concerns around US President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One.
The new Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which was donated by Qatar, lacked security features including advanced antimissile capabilities, the NYT reported on Thursday, citing multiple officials.
Experts expressed concern over risks in using the jet abroad, and Secret Service concerns led to an abrupt decision for Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One on Wednesday, according to the report.
The administration is under increasing pressure to disclose details of the overhaul of the Qatari plane’s security upgrades, the report added, emphasizing that the aircraft’s safety is critical for both the president and his entourage of White House staff, Secret Service officials, journalists and guests who fly aboard.
White House defends plane’s security
The White House defended the plane’s security in a statement by communications director Steven Cheung on Thursday.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff,” he said.
“As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” he added.
While the Air Force declined to discuss specific security systems, it did acknowledge there were changes to the equipment available on Air Force One.
“No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications,” the Air Force said in a statement on June 19. “But the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years.”
Two former Air Force officials involved in the effort to replace older Air Force One planes told the NYT they were surprised by Trump’s use of the new jet abroad.
“Time didn’t permit all the normal Air Force One modifications, so some mix of security, communications and support is missing,” the NYT cited former Air Force secretary Frank Kendall as saying.
“Frankly, I’m surprised to see this plane used outside the US,” he added.
Former Air Force assistant secretary Andrew P Hunter, who was in charge of the Air Force One program during the Biden administration, told the NYT that a true retrofit of a 747 to prepare it for use as Air Force One would require over a year.
Senate Democrats also questioned Trump’s decision to use the new jet, accusing Trump of prioritizing luxury over security.
“Trump’s own statements – including his celebration of ‘a level of luxury that nobody’s ever seen before’ – make it clear that these decisions prioritized Trump’s personal comfort and tastes over US national security,” Senator Christopher S. Murphy and 12 other senators wrote in a letter.
Administration issues subpoenas
Subpoenas ordering reporters to appear before a federal grand jury on Wednesday were delivered on Fridays to reporters, in some cases by federal agents at reporters’ homes, the NYT reported.
The NYT condemned the action, stating it was an attempt to undermine guaranteed freedom of the press.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, the NYT’s top newsroom lawyer, in a statement on Friday evening.
“This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs,” he added.
The subpoenas were issued to journalists who reported on Trump’s use of the old Air Force One on Wednesday, and on concerns over the jet’s security on Thursday, the NYT wrote.
Before the Wednesday article was published, a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) contacted the NYT asking for the article to be held for reasons of national security, speaking with a reporter and a senior editor, but declined to explain the security issue, the NYT added.