The New York Times went to federal court on July 23, 2026, to stop the Trump administration from forcing five of its reporters to testify in a criminal investigation. The newspaper asked Judge Arun Subramanian to cancel the subpoenas, which are legal orders requiring the reporters to appear before a grand jury, a group of citizens who help decide whether someone should be charged with a crime (NPR).

The case started with a Times story published around July 8, 2026. The story reported on security concerns about the new Air Force One jet, which was a gift from the government of Qatar (NPR).

Two days after the story ran, on the night of Friday, July 10, 2026, FBI agents went to several Times reporters' homes with subpoenas requiring them to testify. The FBI also sought records connected to all five reporters and several of their family members (NPR). The Times later reported that the Justice Department had sought the journalists' phone records tied to the Air Force One story (The New York Times). The newspaper called the subpoenas "brazen" (The New York Times).

The Times legal team is led by David A. O'Neil of the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. The newspaper reported that FBI Director Kash Patel personally oversaw the issuing of the subpoenas while at the White House (NPR).

The Justice Department said it is acting to protect national security and trying to find the source of a security breach, not trying to interfere with the newspaper's reporting (NPR).

The case comes down to a conflict between two things. The government has the authority to investigate leaks of classified or sensitive information. But reporters have longstanding protections for themselves and the people who give them information. The Times wants Judge Subramanian to cancel the subpoenas, arguing that the government was not running a real leak investigation but trying to discourage reporting on a politically sensitive topic (NPR).

Several details stand out. FBI agents delivered subpoenas to reporters at their homes at night. The bureau sought records not only from the five journalists but also from several of their family members, according to NPR. The Times separately reported that phone records of its journalists were sought (The New York Times). In most leak cases, subpoena decisions go through the Justice Department's standard media-guidelines process. The Times reported that FBI Director Patel personally oversaw the issuance of the subpoenas, which is unusual for these kinds of investigations.

The broader context here is that the Justice Department's decision to call this a national security investigation gives the government a legal basis to argue in court. The government will likely argue that the subpoenas serve an important law-enforcement interest that outweighs the protections reporters usually get. Judge Subramanian will need to weigh that against the Times's argument that the subpoenas were issued in bad faith and that the government's actions, including targeting family members, go beyond a legitimate leak investigation.

The original Times story focused on a Qatari-government-gifted aircraft meant for presidential use and the security concerns it raised. The Times published that story around July 8, 2026. The timeline moved fast: the story ran on July 8, FBI agents arrived at reporters' homes on July 10, and the court hearing happened on July 23. Leak investigations involving the press usually take longer to reach that stage (NPR).

The case has drawn attention worldwide. BBC News reported on the subpoenas under the headline "Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over Air Force One reporting" (BBC News). Judge Subramanian has not yet ruled. His decision will determine whether the five reporters can be forced to testify before a grand jury and whether the government may keep pursuing records connected to the journalists and their family members.