- FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly investigated a leak to The New York Times concerning alleged defensive deficiencies in a Qatari-donated Air Force One alternative used by President Donald Trump.
- Patel was called to the White House to conduct the investigation, a move described as a significant departure from historical practice, and subsequently, four New York Times reporters received subpoenas to testify before a Manhattan grand jury.
- The investigation followed President Trump's anger over the newspaper's reporting that his new plane lacked robust countermeasures. The Times learned that, despite Trump's claim that his opulent new plane cost American taxpayers nothing, it still cost regular Americans hundreds of millions in tax dollars to upgrade its security.
- An FBI official reportedly asked The New York Times to withhold the story due to national security concerns and to reveal its sources, which the newspaper refused, citing journalistic ethics.
- The Justice Department stated that reporters are not the targets of the investigation, but rather those who leak classified information, while press freedom advocates condemned the subpoenas as an attempt to intimidate journalists.
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