It is reported that the US Department of Justice called The Wall Street Journal and other media at the instigation of the President Donald Trumpwho has repeatedly complained about the coverage of his war in Iran.
The paper reported Monday that it received grand jury subpoenas dated March 4 for its reporters’ records as Trump pushed the Justice Department — now led by his former personal attorney, Todd Blanche — to investigate the war-related leaks.
“Blanche vowed to secure subpoenas specifically targeting the records of reporters who worked on sensitive national security stories,” the Journal reported, citing an unnamed administration official. During one meeting, the Journal reported, “Trump passed a stack of news articles that he and other senior officials felt threatened national security to Blanche with a sticky note on it.”
Trump and other senior administration officials, including The Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly expressed anger at the coverage of the war in Iran by the American media and threatened journalists who publish classified information—a common journalistic practice.
In April, Trump said he would work for prisoners journalists involved in reporting on a downed US fighter jet in Iran and subsequent efforts to rescue the crew of the fighter jet. Last month, Trump navigate “Charges of treason” against journalists whom he accused of circulating “false information” about the war in Iran.
Ashok Sinha, chief communications officer of Dow Jones, publisher of the Gazette, said in a statement that “the government’s calls to The Wall Street Our newspaper and journalists represent an attack on constitutionally protected news gathering.”
“We will strongly oppose this attempt to stifle and intimidate essential reporting,” Sinha said.
The call aimed at Gazeta journalists was about “a The February 23 article that reported that Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and others in the Pentagon warned the president about the dangers of a protracted military campaign against Iran,” the paper reported Monday.
“Other news outlets, including Axios and Washington Postpublished similar stories that day,” the Journal added. “Trump started the war five days later, on February 28″.
CNN reported Monday that “in addition to The Journal, other news outlets have also received subpoenas in recent months.”
“But some of the news organizations have chosen not to comment on the matter at this time,” CNN added.
Scott Stedman, an investigative reporter with The Newsground, the accused leaders targeted “cowards” for not speaking out against the Trump administration’s brazen attack on freedom of the press.
“The president is using the DOJ to target your news organization with subpoenas because he wants to reveal your sources and you don’t have the guts to say anything,” Stedman wrote.
