Trump Threatens to Jail Journalists Who Won't Name the Source of an Iran Rescue Story

At a press conference on April 6, 2026, President Trump said journalists at an unnamed news outlet should be jailed if they did not identify who leaked information about the status of a second U.S. airman missing after an F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3. Trump framed the airman's status as a national security matter and said the leak had endangered the rescue operation. The remarks came as the administration said an investigation to find the leaker was underway; the second crew member was recovered on April 5.

Threatening imprisonment of reporters for refusing to reveal sources runs against a long-standing American practice in which leak investigations target government employees rather than the journalists who publish. There is no federal shield law, so the protection reporters have rests largely on Justice Department policy and prosecutorial restraint, both of which are set by the executive branch.

No charges against any journalist were reported in connection with the statement during April 2026.