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Qatari Air Force One legal and political controversy

The dispute over President Trump's acceptance of a Qatari-donated aircraft to serve as Air Force One, including the revocation of former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's security clearance, federal subpoenas of New York Times journalists who reported on the plane, and any related litigation or hearings.

New York Times argues subpoenas are retaliation for reporting

Illustration accompanying article: New York Times argues subpoenas are retaliation for reporting
  • The New York Times told a federal court that the Trump administration is abusing the justice system to intimidate reporters over a story about safety concerns on the Qatari-donated Air Force One, according to legal filings.
  • FBI agents delivered grand jury subpoenas to five Times journalists' homes on July 10, two days after the first story published, and later sought phone records of the reporters, two spouses, and one reporter's mother.
  • Times lawyers, led by David A. O'Neil of Debevoise & Plimpton, argued that the government's actions violate "the most basic First Amendment protections for newsgathering activity" and that FBI Director Kash Patel personally oversaw the subpoenas from the White House.
  • U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will hear arguments Thursday in Manhattan on the newspaper's motion to quash the subpoenas.
 2026-07-23 · 3 MIN READ