As we reported, when President Donald Trump was overseas in Turkey for the NATO summit, he had a bit of a plane switch. He sent the new Qatari-gifted plane ahead to the United Kingdom, and ended up leaving Turkey on Wednesday on the old Air Force One that he'd used for years.
Trump mentioned that the new plane had been sent ahead to RAF Mildenhall so American service members could see it. But there were also reports published by the NYT about security concerns. On the flight out of Turkey, reporters asked why they had to lower their blinds on the old Air Force One. Because of the "sleazebags" we have to deal with, Trump told them.
🚨 UPDATE: New York Times reporters have been SUBPOENAED after reporting that President Trump had to change to the old Air Force One in Turkey due to security reasons, NYT claims
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 11, 2026
FAFO. FIND THE LEAKER! pic.twitter.com/7LvYgSHHk1
On Thursday, The Times reported that the new Air Force One, a Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8, lacked some of the advanced security features of the older aircraft, including antimissile capabilities. Both articles cited sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues.
READ MORE: '#1 on the Kill List' — Is That Why Trump Ditched the Brand-New $400M AF1 for NATO Departure?
THE ESSEX FILES: Trump’s Air Force One Swap Prioritizes Security and Honors Our Troops
The White House Communications director, Steven Cheung, said that the new aircraft was "state-of-the-art" and had been "fitted with "high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff." Cheung said there were many enemies who had their "sights" on Trump and "we use every tool at our disposal - including distraction and misdirection - to address those threats."
Then, New York Times reporters received subpoenas on Friday that seek to have them testify before a federal grand jury on Wednesday, July 15, according to the NYT story linked above.
The Times journalists who received subpoenas included Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, who reported on Wednesday that Mr. Trump had departed Turkey on the old Air Force One as a security precaution at the urging of the Secret Service.
The FBI asked the paper to hold the story for security reasons before it ran. The Times admits they refused.
Before the Wednesday article was published, a senior official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted a reporter and a senior editor at The Times to ask that the article be held, calling it an issue of national security, according to a person familiar with the conversation. The F.B.I. official declined to explain the security issue. The official also asked The Times to disclose its sources for the article; the newspaper refused to do so. (A spokesman for The Times, Charlie Stadtlander, confirmed the account.)
Why would you refuse to do that, especially given the confirmation of an assassination threat against Trump, particularly from Iran? That would seem basic.
READ MORE: Iran’s 'Very Specific Plot' to Assassinate Trump Foiled by Warning From Israeli Intelligence
The NY Times is now throwing a fit about the subpoenas, claiming it should "shock the conscience" over freedom of the press.
But the Department of Justice basically threw a damper on their fit, the NYT wrote:
In a statement on Saturday, a Justice Department spokeswoman said that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”
“We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but D.O.J. also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information,” said the spokeswoman, Emily Covington. She added, “We recognize there may always be natural tension there, but we are not going to ignore the law.”
Meanwhile, where were the fits when Barack Obama was really going after the media?
which us president subpoenaed the most journalists? pic.twitter.com/jRIyNKt1Qu
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) July 11, 2026
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member