The Trump administration is seeking phone records of several journalists and their relatives to unmask confidential sources of reporters who wrote about Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.
According to lawyers for the reporters, the timeframe suggests the Department of Justice is not focusing on articles written by the journalists in early July but instead being used to find information about sources of information going back to January.
The Justice Department claims the subpoenas are not targeting reporters, but those who are leaking information.
News organization lawyers say the subpoenas are concerning and reveal yet another pattern of conduct detailed in a Motion to Quash, which states the move “demonstrates the abuse of the grand jury process, continued bad faith on the journalist, violations in the departments own internal regulations and disregard for the law in this circuit intended to protect critical First Amendment interests.”
The original subpoe nas were delivered to reporters at their homes. It followed an FBI search earlier this year of a Washington Post reporter’s home and the seizure of her electronic devices.
The Trump admin istration has repeatedly clashed with the press, including newspapers, TV networks and even the Voice of America, the largest and oldest international broadcaster funded by the United States federal government, producing digital, TV, and radio news in nearly 50 languages, using lawsuits, administrative actions and public threats. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the press’ ability to operate free of governmental restrictions.
Freedom of the press is the fundamental right of journalists and media outlets to publish news, criticize governments and circulate information without state censorship, prior restraint or intimidation. In the U.S. this right is explicitly protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Journalists rely on confidential sources to expose wrongdoing. In the U.S., the federal PRESS Act has seen repeated legislative struggles, but over 40 states and Washington, D.C., have implemented “shield laws” to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their sources. It ensures that news organizations can report without political interference or pressure from advertisers and special interest groups.
The U.S. now ranks 64th globally out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This marks a drop of seven places from the previous year and the country’s lowest position since the index began in 2002, when it ranked 17th. The U.S. environment is frequently tested by legal subpoenas targeting journalists’ confidential communications, restrictions on access to public spaces, and political challenges to broadcast licenses.