The New York Times has criticised the US Department of Justice over subpoenas it says were "abusive" and aimed at unmasking the confidential sources behind its reporting on Air Force One. The dispute forms part of a wider Trump administration effort to identify leaks to journalists, raising concerns among press freedom advocates about the protection of confidential sources and the potential chilling effect on investigative journalism.

According to the available reporting, the subpoenas targeted New York Times journalists as part of a Justice Department leak investigation, prompting the newspaper to push back publicly against the demands. The Trump administration's DOJ subsequently withdrew the subpoenas in question, though the episode has renewed scrutiny of how the administration handles cases involving reporters and their sources.