The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman on Monday said Donald Trump administration’s issuing of subpoenas to four of her colleagues who reported on security concerns about the new, Qatar-gifted Air Force One, was an obvious effort to intimidate the publication, which the president has long slammed for critical coverage of him.

Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt were subpoenaed on Friday to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday in a move reportedly aimed at exposing who leaked the story.

On X, the Department of Justice claimed the “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

On MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” however, Haberman said Trump is subpoenaing journalists “with vigor and this has been related to his bullying campaigns of various industries.”

And “in this case, the subpoenas were not a last resort, which is typically what they’re supposed to do when there is an alleged leak hunt,” she said.

“This is not just issuing subpoenas; it’s sending federal agents to people’s homes,” Haberman added later. “The goal was very clearly intimidation.”

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