This week, U.S. President Donald Trump was reported to have returned from the NATO summit in Turkey without flying the new "Air Force One" aircraft donated by Qatar and modified for the trip. Instead, he flew the old version of the aircraft back, and only transferred to the new aircraft at the Royal Air Force Base in Mildenhall, England before returning to Washington.
The New York Times later cited sources familiar with the matter, stating that the replacement was requested by the U.S. Secret Service, as the new aircraft did not have some of the security features of the old one.
On July 11 local time, a US media outlet reported that several journalists who were involved in reporting on the new 'Air Force One' aircraft for safety issues received subpoenas on Friday. They are required to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan, New York, regarding matters 'suspected of violating federal criminal laws'.
The New York Times condemned the government's actions. Chief Legal Advisor for News, Michael Crowe, said in a statement on Friday evening, "Our journalists report facts and safeguard the American public's right to understand how the government operates and how taxpayer funds are used. Such brazen behavior is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate journalists and prevent them from performing their duties, thereby preventing the public from understanding what is happening in the country."
The spokesperson for that American media, Charlie Statterland, also confirmed that before the reported article was published, a senior official from the Federal Bureau of Investigation requested that it not be published on grounds related to national security. However, they refused to provide any explanation regarding the specific security issues involved.
This unexpected change in the special aircraft occurred while the United States and Iran resumed mutual air strikes. This has raised concerns about safety issues: Pictures show that the special aircraft donated by Qatar is not equipped with certain missile detection and countermeasures systems.
Trump denied that the transfer to a different plane was related to safety issues. In social media, he said, "At the request of the entire Mildenholt Air Base," the new aircraft flew to the base to "demonstrate" to military personnel. The White House also issued a statement denying any safety defects in the new aircraft.
