Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. It seems the Justice Department has subpoenaed four New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding a Qatari-gifted jet serving as the new Air Force One. I mean, who doesn’t love a good game of cat and mouse between the government and the press? The journalists – Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt – have been asked to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week. Because, you know, the government just wants to have a friendly chat with them about their sources.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that the subpoenas were issued after the Times reported that President Donald Trump left Turkey on the old Air Force One due to security concerns. I mean, who wouldn’t want to switch planes in the middle of a trip? It’s not like the president was trying to avoid any, ahem, “security concerns” or anything. The Times will fight the court order, which is highly unusual and a direct threat to the news media’s ability to gather information in the public’s interest. Bless their hearts, they think they can take on the government and win.
The Times’ top newsroom attorney, David McCraw, condemned the move in a statement, saying that the appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects. Yeah, because nothing says “press freedom” like a subpoena from the Justice Department. McCraw also said that this brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
The subpoenas suggest that the Trump administration is trying to find out who leaked to the Times before the news organization reported that President Trump left Turkey on the old Air Force One over security concerns from the Secret Service. I’m sure it’s just a big coincidence that the president was fuming at reports of security concerns surrounding the $400 million gift from Qatar. Who wouldn’t be embarrassed and angry when their brand new plane isn’t equipped enough to be flown directly from the NATO summit in Turkey back home? Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we have a big story on our hands.
The story gets even better, folks. Trump said in a post on social media that the change in planes was simply to give US service members stationed at Mildenhall Air Force Base “a chance to tour the Aircraft.” Yeah, because that’s exactly what the president’s tweet said. I’m sure it had nothing to do with security concerns or the fact that the new plane wasn’t equipped enough. When asked why reporters aboard the plane were asked to lower their window shades on the ascent out of Ankara, Trump allowed that security concerns related to Iran could be a factor. Because, you know, Iran is always a good excuse for anything.
The Times reported that a senior FBI official contacted them to request that the Wednesday story not be published over a national security issue, but the official declined to say what the issue was. The subpoenas issued Friday also lack detail, saying the journalists are being asked to testify “in regard to an alleged violation of criminal law.” I’m sure it’s all just a big misunderstanding, and the government will clear everything up in no time.
In conclusion, folks, it seems like the government is trying to play a game of hide-and-seek with the press, and it’s not going to end well. The Times will likely fight the subpoenas, and we’ll have a big ol’ court battle on our hands. And in the end, we’ll probably find out that the whole thing was just a big mess, and the president was just trying to cover his tracks. But hey, at least it’s entertaining, right? As I always say, you can’t make this stuff up, and I’m just here for the popcorn.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
