In an administration that has been plagued by disloyal staffers, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is reportedly ramping up the hunt to individuals who leak key, or false information to the press. Axios reported on Sunday Meadows is purposefully planting false information to potential leakers, with the hope they will inadvertently expose themselves.
What we know: Two leaks have happened within the past few months. First, that President Trump went into the White House bunker the night of the St. John's Church fire. And second, that someone leaked false information about the Russia bounties to the New York Times that he was briefed on the intelligence and failed to act. After key Republican lawmakers attended a White House meeting about the issue, Senator Ernst, among others, expressed that the media got the story wrong.
Why this matters: In an era of fake news, it is now hard to know what is true and what is false. Main stream media outlets, such as the New York Times, rely on key sources, but it is apparent some of their sources may have a hidden agenda when it comes to undermining President Trump. Trump often goes against the stories reported by left leaning news sources, and these news sources often report based on “anonymous sources” within the administration. So, ironically, what President Trump calls the “fake news media,” could be reporting what they think is real, but the sources are the ones who are lying with the hope to negatively impact their boss.
What to expect: Meadows is a very loyal Trump supporter, and was a prominent member of Congress for years. He understands the way politics works, and will understand the importance of rooting out Trump-haters in disguise. While the search for leakers has happened throughout the Trump administration, Meadows might actually be able to understand where the information is coming from, and make sure only loyal staffers have a WH pass. This is critical for the upcoming 2020 election in November, and if Trump wins, for the next four years of his administration.
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