Trump threatens to jail journalist to find source of second missing airman report

The Guardian US News
by Jeremy Barr in Washington
April 6, 2026
2 min read

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The Bottom Line

President Trump threatened to jail journalists to find the source of a report about a missing airman in Iran.

How This Affects You

This action by President Trump could restrict the public's access to information about military operations and government actions.

AI Summary

President Donald Trump threatened to jail a journalist or journalists who reported on a second US airman missing after being shot down by Iranian forces. This threat was made in an effort to identify the "leaker" who revealed the information. The incident occurred after the airman, who was badly injured, hid in a mountain crevice before being rescued by a US recovery team under heavy fire. President Trump announced the service member's recovery on Sunday. This action by the President targets the media in a bid to uncover sources behind reports concerning military operations.

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