Top White House officials were asked to turn over their phones last week as part of a leak investigation launched by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The particular leak in question involved the New York Times, which reported on July 8 that President Donald Trump would be leaving this year’s NATO summit in Turkey aboard the original Air Force One.
Trump flew to the summit aboard a Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8 that he’d intended to be used as the new Air Force One. However, the Times reported that the president abandoned this plan after arriving at the summit because of a previously unknown security concern.
“President Trump flew out of Turkey on Wednesday night on the old Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 as a security precaution related to the resumption of hostilities with Iran,” the Times’ report read.
When the president learned of the Times report and the leak behind it, he was reportedly “fuming.”
Sources told CNN that Trump has been fuming at the reports of security concerns surrounding the $400 million gift from Qatar, and was embarrassed and angry when it became public that that the plane was not equipped enough to be flown directly from the NATO https://t.co/l9gllkC9mO
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 11, 2026
“Trump had fumed over disclosures about the new plane, sources said, and his government quickly [launched] an intense leak probe that roiled the government,” according to CNN.
“[S]ources said Patel — who had been preparing to travel to Chicago — was diverted to the White House on Friday to take a hands-on role in running the probe. … Patel posted up in an office next to Wiles’ for roughly seven hours, as the two established what one source referred to as a ‘war room’ in the West Wing,” the reporting continued.
The two then began confiscating cell phones from top officials, as well as demanding “information” from those who’d traveled with the president to the NATO summit in Turkey.
CNN complained in its report that this sprawling, unexpected investigation marks “a significant breach of the Justice Department’s historic independence,” in that traditionally, the DOJ would lead such an investigation, not the White House chief of staff.
Asked for comment, a White House spokesperson stressed that the Trump administration has zero tolerance for leaks.
“Leaks that jeopardize the safety of the President, his staff, and the traveling press pool are dangerous and a threat to national security,” they said. “The White House takes these leaks seriously and will do everything legally to ensure the individual or individuals are caught, and it does not happen again.”
Meanwhile, the White House has targeted the Times with subpoenas over its reporting on the Qatari jet fiasco. “Several” so-called Times journalists have been targeted in the subpoenas.
“The subpoenas … seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday,” according to the paper. “In some cases, the subpoenas were delivered by federal agents who showed up at reporters’ homes.”
In a moment of irony, the Times itself “fumed” after the subpoenas were delivered.
Several @nytimes journalists were subpoenaed by the Trump administration on Friday.
– Reporters covering AF1 security concerns have been compelled to testify before a Manhattan grand jury next week
– Federal agents turned up at some reporters’ homes
– NYT calls it a “brazen act”— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) July 11, 2026
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” Times newsroom lawyer David McCraw said in a statement.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating, and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs,” he added.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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