The Trump administration was met with a wave of bitter rebuke Saturday morning after the New York Times revealed his decision to subpoena journalists who reported on his Qatari jet.
The subpoenas were issued to four of its reporters after they wrote about security concerns with Trump’s Qatari-donated Boeing 747, according to reporting by the New York Times.
Trump had to ditch his Qatari jet while departing from a NATO summit on his old Air Force One, and the Times reported that the gifted plane lacked security features like anti-missile capabilities.
Fellow journalists and political commentators took to X to voice their displeasure with the subpoenas, which were issued on Friday. Swiss comedian and journalist Viktor Giacobbo described the subpoenas as “Free speech MAGA style.”
“Maybe if you don’t want people writing about your unsecure bribe plane, don’t solicit one from a petrostate royal family to begin with,” wrote HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte.
“How dare they report any problems with his ill gotten plane!” posted Democratic political strategist Joe Trippi.
“The Trump regime’s efforts to clamp down on the Times is evidence of exactly how important their reporting is,” reacted veteran journalist Jim Roberts. “And how truthful it is.”
Political commentator Mario Nawfal noted it’s the “same play they ran on the [Washington] Post and the [Wall Street] Journal earlier this year before backing off,” referring to similar Trump administration subpoenas. “The story clearly landed, or none of this would be happening.”
“Remember when MAGA said the press was the enemy because it ‘hid the truth’? Now they’re cheering the government subpoenaing reporting for telling it,” former Democratic National Committee representative Khary Penebaker posted. “Amazing how fast principles disappear when Trump’s feelings get hurt.”