Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
FBI Seeks Phones in Air Force One Leak Probe After Trump’s Qatar-Gifted Jet Trip
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16

FBI Seeks Phones in Air Force One Leak Probe After Trump’s Qatar-Gifted Jet Trip

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16

Summary

  • F.B.I. investigators have approached several people who flew on the Qatari-gifted plane President Trump used for last week’s Turkey trip, asking some to surrender mobile phones in a leak investigation.
  • Secret Service personnel who accompanied Trump are among those the bureau has tried to question, while agency leadership told staff to route outside requests to lawyers.
  • The inquiry follows Friday-night subpoenas to several New York Times reporters, seeking grand-jury testimony in Manhattan over reporting on security concerns tied to the new Air Force One.
  • Administration officials say F.B.I. Director Kash Patel and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are personally leading the effort to identify who disclosed the information.

Insights

How does an F.B.I. director's controversial leadership style impact a major national security investigation?
Did the accelerated upgrade of the new Air Force One create unavoidable risks for presidential travel?
When does a government's hunt for a leaker cross the line into an attack on press freedom?