Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New York Times Reporter Explains Why Donald Trump's Claim That Anonymous Sources Are 'Fiction' Is Hypocritical AF

New York Times Reporter Explains Why Donald Trump's Claim That Anonymous Sources Are 'Fiction' Is Hypocritical AF
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 08: U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs the White House June 8, 2018 in Washington, DC. Trump is traveling to Canada to attend the G7 summit before heading to Singapore on Saturday for a planned U.S.-North Korea summit. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Classic.

This morning's tweet storm from President Donald Trump showed him attacking Florida's first black nominee for governor, accusing former President Barack Obama of spying on his campaign, and insisting that Hillary Clinton colluded with the Russians.

Sometime during all that, he also managed to tweet a claim he has made before about news organizations using anonymous sources -- that they're not to be trusted because "they are fiction."


Of course, this comes hours after Trump tweeted accusations that China hacked the emails of Hillary Clinton, in reference to an article that cited two anonymous sources.

Many already know that anonymous sources are vital to the function of a free press. Some of the most pivotal "scoops" in American history--including the Watergate scandal--relied on well-vetted, inside sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

But New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman didn't focus on this widely-known fact. Instead, she cited Trump's own history as his own anonymous source.

Philip Rucker of the Washington Post also made a similar point.

And Washington Monthly contributor David Atkins.

Few were surprised.

Trump's rails against unnamed sources have seen a resurgence after a recent CNN story, which reported that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen was prepared to testify that Trump knew ahead of time about the infamous Trump Tower meeting with liaisons to Russia. The article cited multiple unnamed sources, one of whom proved to be Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis, who later claimed that he "should have been more clear." CNN has stood by the story, but the misstep has still bolstered Trump's claims to his supporters.

However, as Haberman pointed out, Trump has often anonymously contributed to stories about himself with false information, frequently using pseudonyms to do so.

Mr. Trump employed pseudonyms like John Barron, John Miller, and most recently David Dennison. The first two, he used for speaking with the press.

Many were quick to call him out for it.

Though Trump may be decrying unnamed sources now, but in addition to acting as a source himself, he's often cited information by them as well.

As usual, there's a tweet for everything.

Trump's claims about anonymous sources and frequent cries of "fake news" may validate the notions of his supporters and the notions Trump has of himself, however Americans like Maggie Haberman and others who responsibly consume media aren't buying it.

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less