Overview
- The administration launched a focused search for sources tied to reporting in Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s book and New York Times coverage after April reporting prompted President Trump to demand answers.
- By May, sources say the president urged the Justice Department to consider forceful steps, including raids on reporters’ homes or detaining journalists to compel source disclosure.
- Reporting published Tuesday says the probe has stalled because too many Cabinet-level appointees and senior officials shared information with reporters, making a useful suspect list impractically long.
- Several current and former senior officials acknowledged or were reported to have leaked, and an adviser described a culture of mutual exposure that officials said protected people who spoke to journalists.
- The White House publicly attacked the reporting outlet and its reporter, and the breakdown of the hunt has raised broader questions about internal accountability and risks to press freedom.