Ex-GOP aide blasts Dems for not standing up to Trump's First Amendment attacks

President Donald Trump arrives for a Rose Garden Club Lunch at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump is investigating a quarter of The New York Times' reporters for breaking a story about security concerns regarding the Air Force One plane donated by Qatar — and a former Republican presidential aide is calling out Democrats for not doing enough to hold the Republican leader accountable.

After describing how Trump subpoenaed journalists Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt — as well as persecuted Hannah Natanson of The Washington Post and Don Lemon and Georgia Fort while covering ICE in Minnesota — Steve Schmidt, who served as an aide to President George W. Bush, wrote on his Substack on Sunday.

“This isn’t a media story,” Schmidt argued. “It isn’t a leak story. It isn’t another partisan spectacle. It’s a constitutional story. Full stop. The First Amendment was never written to protect journalists. It was written to protect the American people from government. The founders understood something every generation must learn again.”

He added, “Power hides. Power resents scrutiny. Power fears exposure. Power almost never announces that liberty is ending. It advances one justification at a time. One subpoena. One search warrant. One seizure. One arrest. One frightened source. One intimidated reporter. One knock at the door. That’s how free societies become less free.”

From there, Schmidt claimed that Democrats can start holding Trump accountable by making sure he is not allowed to keep the Qatar jet that was given to him as a gift by that nation’s royal family.

“The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is scheduled for later this month,” Schmidt argued. “This isn’t an ordinary year. There’s nothing ordinary about federal agents appearing at the homes of reporters. There’s nothing ordinary about search warrants executed against journalists. There’s nothing ordinary about reporting equipment being seized. There’s nothing ordinary about the cumulative pressure these actions place on a free press.”

He added, “The annual ritual should give way to constitutional seriousness. The White House Correspondents’ Association exists for a purpose greater than hosting a dinner.” For that reason, he argued that the White House press corps must acknowledge Trump’s behavior at the current event. He added that the Democratic Party must also stop cowering at Trump’s threats and instead demand institutional responsibility for the gifts he has accepted.

“Its leaders should make a simple pledge,” Schmidt said. “No aircraft accepted under these circumstances should ever become Donald Trump’s personal property. Not after his presidency. Not at a presidential library. Not in a private museum. Not anywhere. The presidency is a public trust. Its symbols aren’t private trophies.”

The New York Times is not alone in receiving Trump’s wrath over the reporting on his Qatari plane. Last week, Trump reported did the same thing to a journalist speaking on MS NOW.

“Trump’s earlier choice to use the gifted Qatari jet as a primary presidential aircraft has been controversial because the gifted plane lacks key military defenses of the original Air Force One, including the ability to refuel mid-air and missile-defense systems, according to a law enforcement official briefed on its capabilities,” MS NOW’s Carol Leonnig reported.

In response to this story, White House communications director Steven Cheung attacked Leonnig, claiming that “Carol Leonnig is a liar and this article is complete Fake News. She has no idea what she is talking about. She says the White House declined to comment. Not true. We gave comment to The New York Times and many other outlets. Carol is not a real journalist. A complete fraud.”

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