Trump Had DOJ Subpoena WSJ Over Iran War Reporting — SwampWatch
NEWS & RESEARCH
While President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have declared Iran's military "decimated" and "no longer" a threat, classified assessments indicate that Iran has retained roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile and regained access to approximately 90 percent of its underground missile facilities—findings that directly contradict months of public assurances from administration officials. Meanwhile, the administration is trying to rein in unfriendly reporting on the war. The Department of Justice sent grand jury subpoenas to several Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporters in March 2025, demanding access to their records in order to identify government officials suspected of leaking information. The subpoenas specifically relate to a WSJ article reporting that top Pentagon officials warned Trump about the risks of going to war with Iran shortly before he launched a military attack. Subpoenas are rarely issued to journalists, but the Trump administration overturned Biden-era policies intended to protect reporters, granting federal prosecutors greater authority to demand that journalists identify their sources. Trump has suggested that journalists who do not cooperate should go to jail.
SOURCES: Wall Street Journal |The Hill | New York Times| New York Times| Washington Post
ANALYSIS& OPINION
The Freedom of the Press Foundationclaims that the administration’s decision to send subpoenas to WSJ reporters “has nothing to do with ‘national security,’” and is “an outrageous attempt to silence sources, intimidate journalists and bury the truth about President Trump’s unpopular decision to launch a war even his own generals warned against.” First Amendment advocates warn the broader damage may be long-term. As the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Pressnotes, “[This] kind of intrusion into reporters’ relationships with their sources chills independent reporting on the government, and ultimately threatens the public’s access to information.”
SOURCE: USA Today
HOW TO FIX IT
Federal action:
Pass the PRESS (Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying) Act, which would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their sources. The bill passed the House in 2024 but stalled in the Senate.
Pass the Privacy Protection Updates Act, which would make it harder for the federal government to search and seize a journalist’s records. This is especially relevant if reporters do not comply with subpoenas and the DOJ escalates.
Litigation:
While no formal legal action has taken place yet, Dow Jones, which publishes the Wall Street Journal, has called the subpoenas "an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering" and vowed to "vigorously oppose" them. The company and/or its reporters could file a motion to quash in federal court, arguing the subpoenas violate First Amendment protections.
Legislation: H.R.4250 - PRESS Act | S.4268 - Privacy Protection Updates Act
