Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists at The New York Times, demanding their testimony before a federal grand jury in Manhattan. The subpoenas were directed at reporters who wrote about security concerns involving President Trump’s new Air Force One. The move marks an escalation in the administration’s efforts to pressure media outlets, with some subpoenas delivered by federal agents to reporters’ homes. The New York Times condemned the action, calling it a “brazen act.” David McCraw, the newspaper’s top newsroom lawyer, stated that the presence of federal law enforcement agents at reporters’ residences should “shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects.” He emphasized that journalists have a duty to inform the public about government operations and the use of taxpayer funds, warning that the subpoenas represent an attempt to intimidate reporters and prevent the public from learning about government activities. The subpoenas, issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, do not specify the nature of the alleged violations. They simply require the journalists to testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.” Clayton, who was recently nominated by Trump to serve as director of national intelligence, leads one of the country’s most prominent law enforcement offices. The subpoenas were issued following the Times’ report this week on security concerns related to the Air Force One. The administration’s decision to subpoena the journalists has drawn criticism for its potential impact on press freedom.#the_new_york_times #trump_administration #jay_clayton #air_force_one #federal_grand_jury
Trump Cancels Jay Clayton's DNI Confirmation Hearing, Delaying FISA Reauthorization President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he would cancel the Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, who was nominated to become the director of national intelligence. The Senate Intelligence Committee subsequently canceled the hearing, which had been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The move has raised concerns about the potential delay in reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a critical intelligence-gathering authority that expired last week. The president’s decision to cancel the hearing came hours before its scheduled start time, as detailed in a social media post. Trump cited multiple grievances, including his belief that acting DNI Bill Pulte would not be allowed to serve in the role and that Clayton’s successor in the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, had not yet been confirmed. In the post, Trump stated that the hearing would be postponed until McDonald’s nomination was approved, with Pulte remaining as acting director. Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, criticized the move as an “extraordinary display of dysfunction.” Warner suggested that Trump might withdraw Clayton’s nomination despite its bipartisan support, raising questions about whether Clayton’s status had been postponed or withdrawn. “I wonder whether Jay Clayton knows whether he has been postponed or withdrawn,” Warner remarked during a press conference. The delay in Clayton’s confirmation poses a significant risk to the reauthorization of Section 702, which enables warrantless surveillance of communications involving national security threats.#president_donald_trump #mark_warner #senate_intelligence_committee #jay_clayton #section_702
