President Donald Trump personally pushed the Justice Department to issue subpoenas to reporters covering the war in Iran in order to identify their sources. What makes this even more notable is how Trump delivered this message – on a sticky note, written in Sharpie, with the word “Treason” scrawled on it.
Officials familiar with the matter told CNN that Trump handed this note to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a White House meeting, along with a stack of printed news articles. After receiving the packet, the department issued several subpoenas, including one to The Wall Street Journal, which was the first outlet to report on the probes.
The investigation is reportedly aimed at identifying government employees who leaked information, not the reporters themselves. Trump has been furious when his private comments or details of his briefings related to the Iran war have been made public, and he has been pushing for a more aggressive approach to going after leaks.
Trump’s move marks one of the administration’s most aggressive efforts to crack down on national security leaks
The Wall Street Journal received a grand jury subpoena for reporters’ records tied to an article published five days before the war began. That article reported on Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and others at the Pentagon who warned the president about the risks of an extended military campaign against Iran. Reports have also raised concerns about how Trump is being briefed on the Iran conflict, with allies saying he may not be getting the full picture.
“This is an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering,” a spokesperson for Dow Jones, which publishes The Journal, said in a statement to CNN. “We will vigorously oppose this effort to stifle and intimidate essential reporting.”
Other news outlets have also received subpoenas in recent months, though some have chosen not to comment on the matter. The investigation appears to be targeting not just one specific story, but a broader effort to identify the sources behind multiple national security leaks.
Acting Attorney General Blanche has said, “We will always investigate” leaks involving classified information, especially those that put US service members at risk. However, the use of subpoenas directed at reporters has raised serious concerns among journalists and First Amendment advocates across the country.
This crackdown comes as Trump has also been picking unexpected fights with former close allies, signaling a broader shift in how he is managing dissent around him. The White House and the Justice Department have not officially commented on the matter. The move is being seen as one of the most aggressive steps this administration has taken against the press, and press freedom groups are expected to push back strongly against the subpoenas.
Published: May 12, 2026 09:45 am