John Bolton Interviewed, Says Atlantic Story ‘Simply False.’
The Atlantic’s Trump report: We should know the sources of a story this important.
The headline over the bombshell story in The Atlantic magazine exploded on the media and political worlds like a grenade going off in a battle — the kind of headline that would certainly give the president’s detractors yet one more reason to detest the man.
“Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’”
The story ran under the byline of Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazine’s editor-in chief, a journalist who is no fan of Donald Trump. News organizations all over the world picked up the story.
And, in a close election, Goldberg’s story could have great influence; it could convince undecided voters to support Trump’s opponent.
“When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018,” the story began, “he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that ‘the helicopter couldn’t fly’ and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true.”
Yesterday, Jeffrey Goldberg seemed to agree: The Atlantic Editor In Chief Jeffrey Goldberg Says Anonymous Sourcing Is ‘Not Good Enough’ After Backlash Over Trump Story.
Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s editor in chief, conceded on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes” Monday that anonymous sourcing is “not good enough” after backlash over a story about President Donald Trump.
Goldberg faced criticism after a Sept. 3 story used four anonymous sources to allege that the president referred to fallen soldiers as “losers” and “suckers.” Since its publication, Fox News and other publications have confirmed details of the story. Meanwhile, multiple current and former Trump administration members on the trip where the comments were allegedly made have denied the report, according to NBC News.
After saying the sources were allowed to remain anonymous because they feared “angry tweets and all the rest,” Goldberg elaborated and suggested criticism regarding the sourcing is fair. Despite the comments, Goldberg also backed up his decision on anonymous sourcing for the article as well as the contents of the story.