DOJ sought phone records of journalists and relatives in effort to unmask sources of Air Force One security report

By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press By — Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/doj-sought-phone-records-of-journalists-and-relatives-in-effort-to-unmask-sources-of-air-force-one-security-report Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter DOJ sought phone records of journalists and relatives in effort to unmask sources of Air Force One security report Nation Jul 20, 2026 2:34 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration sought phone records of several New York Times journalists and even those of some of their relatives, according to a motion unsealed Monday — an unusually aggressive attempt to unmask the confidential sources of reporters who wrote about Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. The efforts by the Republican president's administration to compel the identity of sources in the form of additional subpoenas come at a time when the executive branch's relationship with the press is increasingly contentious. The efforts, described in a letter-motion filed by the Times over the weekend, were more expansive than previously known, the newspaper noted. They also covered a time frame that exceeded the news articles in question. "Two of the subpoenas seek records beginning on January 1, 2026, long before the events that are purportedly the basis for the Department's investigation," lawyers for the Times wrote in the letter. "That timeframe strongly suggests that the Department is using this investigation not to focus on any purported concerns arising from the July 8 and 9 articles, but instead to forage for information about the Journalists' source relationships more broadly." Government says reporters aren't the target The Justice Department has justified the subpoenas by saying that "to be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are." The additional subpoenas included a request for phone records of one reporter's mother and two of the journalists' spouses. The motion noted that the mother in question is a mental health professional with confidential client relationships and that one of the two spouses is the general counsel of a law firm. WATCH: Subpoenas over New York Times report on Air Force One raise press freedom concerns "The disclosure of additional subpoenas for confidential newsgathering information of the Journalists is deeply concerning, revealing yet another instance of the alarming pattern of conduct detailed in the Motion to Quash," the news organization's lawyers wrote. "These actions demonstrate abuse of the grand jury process, continued bad faith attacks on the Journalists, violations of the Department's own internal regulations and disregard for the law in this Circuit intended to protect critical First Amendment interests," the motion stated. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics ne