"A federal judge raised questions about the government’s handling of the subpoenas, which The Times called an attempt to intimidate the free press."
"The Justice Department on Thursday withdrew the subpoenas that sought phone records and grand jury testimony from New York Times journalists who had reported on the security capabilities of President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One jet.
The government acted after a federal judge grilled Justice Department lawyers for nearly an hour over their handling of the subpoenas, which The Times had sought to quash. The news outlet called the subpoenas an effort to intimidate its reporters.
Judge Arun Subramanian, at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, said the government was not prevented from subpoenaing the Times reporters again if it followed appropriate procedures.
The case was a high-profile instance of the Trump administration’s efforts to escalate pressure on independent news organizations. The government issued the subpoenas, some of which were delivered by federal agents at reporters’ homes, after Mr. Trump was angered by The Times’s disclosures about his new jet, which he had flown to Turkey this month and eagerly showed off."
Michael M. Grynbaum and Jonah E. Bromwich report for the New York Times July 23, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Justice Dept. Drops 'New York Times' Subpoenas Under Pressure From Judge" (NPR)
