A Fox News journalist who criticized President Donald Trump's decision to subpoena reporters whose work left him feeling "embarrassed and angry" faced immediate backlash Saturday for her perceived lack of loyalty.
Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin took to X Saturday to condemn subpoenas sent to New York Times journalists over their coverage of Trump's Qatari plane and the security it could not provide him.
"This action by the US government to subpoena reporters for reporting legitimate news on security concerns about Air Force 1 should alarm every American," Griffin wrote.
The Fox News correspondent then quoted David McCraw, whom she named as the Times’s top newsroom lawyer, whose response appeared to mirror her own.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” he said.
This defense of the Constitution shocked Griffin's followers who defended Trump's decision to penalize journalists who reported on the $400 million jet he faces mounting tensions abroad.
"If you had a security vulnerability that could assist your adversary in assassinating you, would you be okay if the press reported it out?" replied Sarah Adams, host of the podcast The Watch Floor. "You can say all you want in this country, but choices still must have some consequences."
Conservative political commentator Matthew Buckley took a sterner tone.
"You use the words 'reporter' and 'American' in the same sentence," he said. "Because because I have often heard that they are not the same thing. Which one are you first? Does a reporter have the same responsibilities as an American citizen? Or are you somehow a disinterested 3rd party observer?"
Defense attorney Doug A'hern argued the journalists would be protected by due process and therefore could be legally subpoenaed.
"As long as the journalist did not participate in the unlawful acquisition of the classified materials, they won’t be charged criminally for its dissemination," he wrote. "They are not immune from criminal subpoenas."
Courtney Fosnight, a self-described MAGA Republican, condemned Griffin outright for her response.
"You should be investigated," she wrote. "Maybe if a few of you are held accountable the rest of you will become reliable again."
