Overview
- Zeteo/Alternet reports that President Trump has pressed aides to name officials who spoke to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan for their forthcoming book, Regime Change, while referring to suspected leakers as “rats.”
- The piece quotes an administration official saying “the leak hunt is a big deal right now” and says some staff were warned by a superior to cover their tracks if they had spoken with the reporters.
- An excerpt from the book is described as offering “fly-on-the-wall” dialogue and highly sensitive detail about the administration’s march to war with Iran, apparently drawn from senior officials.
- Some presidential allies and government officials told the reporter they fear what could happen to the book’s sources if the president identifies them.
- Zeteo says the White House did not respond to its request for comment, and the account relies on anonymous aides and officials.