Trump targets journalists over reports on war with Iran
The US Justice department has launched an aggressive investigation targeting journalists after President Donald Trump handed stacks of articles to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, marked with a sticky note reading “treason.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing sources, that Trump privately complained to Blanche about media leaks following last month’s Iran war, prompting the Justice Department to aggressively pursue leak investigations.
Blanche pledged to seek subpoenas targeting reporters involved in sensitive national security stories, according to the report.
Senior Justice Department and Pentagon officials have also discussed the investigations, the report said.
In particular, the report said, Trump has focused his ire on articles that provided details on how he arrived at his decision to launch the war, and what his advisers had told him as he deliberated.
“In all circumstances, the Department of Justice follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States,” a department spokeswoman said.
Trump’s recent push to pursue the leak investigations comes as the Justice Department had already stepped up investigations into sensitive reporting about the lead-up to the Iran war, the report said.
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