Trump pushes AG Todd Blanche to subpoena reporters over alleged Iran war media leaks | 12:30 REPORT

President Trump is furious about the media leaks about the war in Iran, so much so that he personally urged acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to aggressively investigate those leaks by issuing subpoenas to reporters covering the war, according to new reporting from The Wall Street Journal.

What we know: “Blanche vowed to secure subpoenas specifically targeting the records of reporters who have worked on sensitive national security stories, one official said. In one meeting, Trump passed a stack of news articles he and other senior officials thought threatened national security to Blanche with a sticky note on it that said ‘treason,’ another administration official said. Senior Justice Department officials have met with counterparts from the Pentagon to discuss the investigations, according to officials familiar with the meetings.”

The subpoenas include Wall Street Journal reporters.

Blanche just issued a warning to reporters: “Prosecuting leakers who share our nation’s secrets with reporters, in turn risking our national security and the lives of our soldiers, is a priority for this administration,” he wrote on social media. “Any witness, whether a reporter or otherwise, who has information about these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material.”

Keep in mind: Issuing subpoenas aimed at journalists is *highly unusual.* There are concerns about First Amendment protections.

#firstamendment #trump #doj #toddblanche #iranwar