The New York Times on Wednesday filed a motion in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to quash subpoenas served on three of its journalists, ordering them to testify before a federal grand jury about confidential sources used in reporting on security concerns surrounding the new Air Force One aircraft. The filing, made under seal, challenges the Justice Department’s authority to compel testimony that the newspaper argues would violate constitutional protections for press freedom.

In a statement, David McCraw, the Times’ senior vice president and deputy general counsel, said the subpoenas were “brought in bad faith to punish The Times for its coverage” and that the newspaper would “go to court to defend our journalists’ rights to report freely”. The Justice Department, by contrast, maintains that the reporters are not targets but material witnesses in an investigation into the unauthorised disclosure of classified national security information. At his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he had authorised the subpoenas and that prosecutors sought only to ask “who provided them with classified national security information”.

The subpoenas, delivered to journalists’ homes last Friday, represent a rare attempt to force reporters to reveal sources before a grand jury, a step legal analysts in New York describe as highly unusual even in leak investigations. The move follows an FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home earlier this year and a policy reversal in April 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, which restored prosecutors’ authority to use subpoenas and search warrants against news organisations after Biden-era curbs. Press freedom groups in the United States have condemned the actions as an effort to intimidate the media.

The underlying New York Times article, citing anonymous sources, reported that the Secret Service had advised President Donald Trump against using the newly retrofitted Boeing 747-8 — a gift from Qatar — because it lacked certain advanced security features, including anti-missile capabilities. Trump, who used an older aircraft to depart a NATO summit in Turkey last week, denied that security concerns influenced the decision. The Qatari-donated plane, painted in red, white and blue, is intended to serve as a temporary Air Force One until a new fleet arrives in 2028 and is expected to be transferred to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office.

The motion was filed under seal, and no immediate ruling is expected. The case is set to test the boundaries of press freedom in the United States, with the Justice Department’s leak investigation continuing and the grand jury proceedings on hold pending the court’s decision on the quash motion.