Trump’s DoJ drops effort to subpoena New York Times over Qatari jet story

Key Points:

• The Justice Department under Donald Trump has temporarily abandoned efforts to subpoena New York Times reporters regarding their coverage of security flaws in the president’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One replacement.
• During a court proceeding, Judge Arun Subramanian questioned the appropriateness of the subpoenas, emphasizing that such measures should be a last resort after exhausting other sources, a standard the Justice Department initially failed to meet.
• The subpoenas followed the Times’ report that the new $400 million plane lacked anti-missile defenses, leading to concerns especially after Trump chose to fly on the older, better-protected Air Force One during a sensitive trip to Turkey.
• The Times criticized the subpoenas as intimidation tactics against the press, alleging coordination within the White House and the FBI in response to Trump’s anger over the reporting, while the Justice Department defended its investigation into leaks of classified information.
• After court scrutiny, the Justice Department agreed to withdraw the subpoenas and pledged to follow proper procedures if pursuing such actions in the future, a decision hailed by the Times as a victory for press freedom.