Trump Administration Subpoenas NYT Freelancer Over Classified SEAL Mission Reporting

Virginia prosecutors in February 2026 subpoenaed freelance New York Times reporter Matthew Cole, demanding over two years of notes, contacts, and sources tied to his September 2025 investigation — co-authored with Dave Philipps — exposing a classified 2019 Navy SEAL mission in North Korea. That operation aimed to plant a communications-intercept device but collapsed when SEALs fired on a North Korean boat. The Times disclosed the subpoena on August 1, 2026, and is providing Cole's legal defense. Lawyer David O'Neil said Cole will defend press freedom and honor his commitment to his sources. The subpoena follows withdrawn Times subpoenas over Air Force One reporting and active Journal subpoenas over Pentagon leak reporting. Senate Democrats have demanded information about the Justice Department's escalating journalist subpoena practices.