White House officials asked to turn over phones leak probe

A high-level leak investigation, personally directed by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel, has roiled the federal government after officials were asked to turn over their phones. The probe, which sources described as operating from a "war room" in the West Wing, was launched in response to President Donald Trump's anger over media reports revealing security concerns with a new aircraft intended to serve as Air Force One.

The investigation became public on the morning of Saturday, July 11, 2026, when the New York Times reported that the Justice Department had issued grand jury subpoenas to four of its journalists. The reporters had broken the story about potential security deficiencies in a $400 million Boeing 747 gifted to the United States by Qatar. According to sources, FBI Director Kash Patel, who had been preparing to travel to Chicago, was diverted back to Washington on Friday, July 10. He then spent roughly seven hours in an office adjacent to Wiles, coordinating the wide-ranging inquiry.

As part of the probe, investigators sought information from officials who had traveled with the president or had a role in his recent trip, and requested...