Military Reporters & Editors (MRE) condemns the Trump administration’s decision to issue subpoenas to the New York Times reporters who unveiled security concerns about President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One plane, which is charged with safeguarding the commander-in-chief during both peace and wartime.
The subpoenas are the Trump administration’s latest effort to subvert the free press and inhibit the American public’s right to know what the government is doing in its name and how hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent. Federal officials showing up at reporters’ homes is an image one would expect from authoritarian regimes, not the United States of America.
As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday this year, we must continue upholding the rights enshrined in our Constitution. The First Amendment affords reporters the right to cover their government without fear or favor. MRE urges the Trump administration to preserve that right and reverse course on the subpoenas.