Donald Trump’s justice department will withdraw subpoenas issued to New York Times’ journalists who reported on security concerns about the president flying on a Qatari-donated Air Force One, a prosecutor said at a court hearing on Thursday.
The subpoenas issued by Jay Clayton, the Manhattan US attorney, on 10 July are the latest instance of the Trump administration seeking to force journalists to divulge their sources, part of what critics describe as the president’s broader pressure campaign against the media.
The US district judge Arun Subramanian paused enforcement of the subpoenas pending Thursday’s hearing, which was set for 2pm ET in Manhattan federal court.
Prosecutors have asked Subramanian to put the subpoenas on hold for two weeks because next steps in the investigation could factor into his decision, while the Times has asked the judge to throw them out.
Clayton, Trump’s pick to be the next US director of national intelligence, issued the subpoenas after the Times reported that Trump left Turkey on the old Air Force One because a new plane donated by Qatar lacked antimissile and other defensive features.
The reports cited anonymous sources and came as a ceasefire collapsed in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The Times said in a court filing that the subpoenas are aimed at harassing and intimidating journalists, in violation of free press protections under the first amendment of the constitution.
More details soon …
