The issuance of federal grand jury subpoenas to four New York Times journalists who reported on national security concerns regarding the new Air Force One planes was a deliberate attempt to intimidate the publication, according to Maggie Haberman, a reporter for the newspaper.
The subpoenas, reportedly aimed at identifying the source of leaked information about the planes, were served on Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt. The journalists are expected to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan. The Department of Justice stated that the reporters themselves are not the targets, but rather those who leaked classified information.
However, Haberman, speaking on MS NOW's "Morning Joe," described the subpoenas as part of Donald Trump's broader strategy of "bullying campaigns of various industries" and an aggressive use of subpoenas against journalists. She contended that in this specific instance, the subpoenas were not a last resort, which is typically the expected procedure when investigating alleged leaks.
"This is not just issuing subpoenas; it’s sending federal agents to people’s homes," Haberman said, asserting that the "very clear goal is very clearly intimidation."