Trump administration subpoenas journalists after reports of Air Force One security concerns

The Trump administration has issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists in response to a report detailing security concerns surrounding the new Air Force One. The report, published Thursday and citing multiple officials, revealed that the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, a donation from Qatar, was not equipped with advanced antimissile capabilities.

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The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.

These security deficiencies raised concerns about the risks of using the jet abroad. According to the report, Secret Service concerns prompted an abrupt decision for President Trump to depart Turkey on the older Air Force One. The administration faces increasing pressure to reveal details about the security upgrades for the Qatari-gifted plane, with the report emphasizing the critical nature of the aircraft's safety for the president and his entourage.

In response, White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the aircraft on Thursday, stating, "The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff." He added that the administration uses "every tool at our disposal to address those threats."

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As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.

The Air Force, while declining to discuss specific security systems, acknowledged that modifications were made to the equipment. A statement on June 19 indicated, "No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications." However, it also noted that "the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years."

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No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications.

Two former Air Force officials involved in the replacement program expressed surprise to the NYT about Trump's use of the new jet abroad, suggesting that "Time didn’t permit all the normal Air Force One modifications, so some mix of security, communications and support is missing."

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But the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years.