This week, the Justice Department took the extraordinary step of obtaining a search warrant for Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home. Trump allies at the Justice Department have been “itching to do this,” a law enforcement reporter told CNN. The Justice Department alleged that the contractor accessed a top-secret intelligence report related to an unnamed foreign country. Under more ordinary circumstances, federal investigators investigating a leak of government secrets might seek a subpoena for reporters’ records. The backlash later led Obama attorney general Eric Holder to tighten Justice Department protections for reporters.

Source: CNN January 15, 2026 15:35 UTC