White House Innocent of ‘Hypocrisy’ in Feud with Press Over Anonymous Sourcing

A bit of a feud broke out at Monday’s White House daily briefing when Press Secretary Josh Earnest criticized The Washington Post‘s use of anonymous sources, and reporters responded by pointing out the White House’s use of anonymously-sourced background briefings. Beltway media types are now crying “hypocrisy,” but what they’re doing is comparing senior administration apples to oranges familiar with the situation.

Earnest’s hackles were clearly raised when Real Clear Politics’ Alexis Simendinger quoted a Washington Post report entitled “Obama aides were warned of brewing border crisis,” and asked him to respond to it.

“Well, Alexis, I’d first point out that you’re asking about a story that’s based entirely on anonymous sources,” Earnest said. “So that should be reflected in the record.”

He then went on to explain the steps the administration was taking before the influx of unaccompanied children became a huge national story, and the funding increases it has sought each year to deal with it.

Ironically, the article that Earnest took such exception with actually does note, quite extensively, steps like those that he described, and then some.

Later in the briefing, McClatchy’s Anita Kumar pressed Earnest on the use of anonymous sources, and made the observation that the Post story contains both named and unnamed sources.

“There are people quoted on the record in the story, Cecilia Muñoz from the White House is quoted in the story,” Earnest said, adding “But the lead of that story is hooked entirely to anonymous sources.”

Kumar then pointed out that “you criticize anonymous sources, but we have anonymous sources from you all every day. I think we have a call today. I mean, how can you criticize that when that’s what you basically give us every day, except for the briefing?”

That’s when Earnest took a turn for the pissy…READ MORE

By: Tommy Christopher

Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.