President Donald Trump hates leakers in the White House — unless those leakers are pedaling stories to the news media that Trump wants to hear.
Hours after condemning a New York Times report for citing “non-existent sources” in a story about a potential Republican shadow campaign trying to get Vice President Mike Pence elected into the Oval Office come 2020, Trump on Tuesday shared a news story from Fox and Friends that cited unnamed sources.
The Fake News refuses to report the success of the first 6 months: S.C., surging economy & jobs,border & military security,ISIS & MS-13 etc.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
In an early-morning series of tweets, Trump shared three Fox and Friends reports, one about North Korea that cited “U.S. officials with knowledge of the latest intelligence,” but did not identify who those officials are, and also quoted an “official who requested anonymity.”
U.S. spy satellites detect North Korea moving anti-ship cruise missiles to patrol boat https://t.co/BPFXsLffgy
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) August 8, 2017
The sources alleged U.S. spy satellites have detected the North Korean military moving anti-shit cruise missiles to a patrol boat.
This isn’t the first time Trump has criticized news media for using anonymous sources and then pivoted to sharing a story that cites anonymous sources — in May Trump told the public to question news stories that include the phrase “sources say.”
“It is very possible that those sources don’t exist but are made up by fake news writers,” he said.
….it is very possible that those sources don’t exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017
Two days later he shared another Fox and Friends story about son-in-law and advisor Jaren Kushner that cited anonymous sources.
Trump doesn’t always follow his own advice on Twitter either — his feed is peppered with Trump saying things like “many people are saying…” without being specific.
He’s also said things on Twitter like, “Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying “sources said,” DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies!”
Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying “sources said,” DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
Two weeks after then-candidate Trump tweeted his supposed disdain for anonymously-sourced news, he shared a Fox News story that cited a “source,” without being more specific.
