Washington (AP) — The Department of Justice issued subpoenas to four New York Times journalists, requiring them to appear before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week. The subpoenas were delivered to the reporters at their homes by federal agents. The reporters, identified as Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, were asked to testify about articles concerning security concerns related to a new Air Force One aircraft that was gifted by Qatar and cost $400 million. The aircraft entered service last week, but President Donald Trump used an older model to depart a NATO summit in Turkey and later referenced threats from Iran. The subpoenas follow a meeting of FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials at the White House on Friday, according to a person familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Department of Justice said that reporters are not the targets and that the investigation concerns unauthorized disclosures of classified information. It added that it values the press but must ensure officials handle sensitive information responsibly. Earlier in the year the department issued subpoenas to reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, which were later withdrawn. In January FBI agents searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of a leak investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking home classified material. Adam Steinbaugh, senior attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said the subpoenas and the prospect of grand jury testimony send a chilling message to journalists and whistleblowers. He noted that such tactics are becoming more common. During his first term Trump described the press as an enemy of the American people; since returning to office he has pursued an aggressive campaign against media outlets, including filing lawsuits and threatening to revoke broadcast licenses. The Justice Department has revised policies on handling leaks and, in April 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded a Biden-era rule that protected journalists from secret phone record seizures, granting prosecutors broader authority to use subpoenas and warrants in leak investigations. A memo from Bondi stated that members of the press are presumptively entitled to advance notice and that subpoenas should be narrowly drawn, with warrants limited in scope. The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the subpoenas.