Trump administration subpoenas NYT journalists' phone records

The Trump administration sought phone records of several New York Times journalists and some of their relatives as part of an investigation into leaks about the security capabilities of a new Air Force One jet, according to a court motion unsealed on Monday, July 20, 2026. The effort, described by the newspaper as an unusually aggressive attempt to unmask confidential sources, was disclosed in a filing by lawyers for The Times seeking to quash the government's requests.

The Justice Department informed the newspaper late last week that it had issued subpoenas to third-party phone service providers seeking the phone and text messaging records of several journalists. This action came in addition to subpoenas issued on July 10 that sought to compel reporters to testify before a federal grand jury. The motion, filed on Saturday, July 18, and unsealed Monday by Judge Arun Subramanian of U.S. District Court in Manhattan, also revealed that subpoenas sought information from the phones of two reporters' spouses.

The investigation began days after The Times reported earlier this month that federal officials harbored significant concerns about the security capabilities of President Donald...