In a stunning admission this week, the White House said they are building a “dossier” on Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold, who has reported extensively on Trump’s finances and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for that reporting.
The White House’s statement came on Thursday in response to a Washington Post story that found that taxpayers have shelled out $900,000 to Trump properties.
Among other fees, the Post reported that the Trump Organization charged the Secret Service $1,300 for a “furniture removal charge” when President Donald Trump visited his resort in Scotland.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Judd Deere said, “The Washington Post is blatantly interfering with the business relationships of the Trump Organization, and it must stop. Please be advised that we are building up a very large ‘dossier’ on the many false David Fahrenthold and others stories as they are a disgrace to journalism and the American people.”
The White House says it’s putting together a dossier on @Fahrenthold pic.twitter.com/x1CqSiqAu8
— Andrew Beaujon (@abeaujon) August 27, 2020
Fahrenthold has reported extensively on how much Trump’s properties are charging the Secret Service to protect the president. Among other charges, the Secret Service was billed $17,000 per month to rent a cottage at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster.
The White House’s boast that they are assembling a “dossier” on a reporter was a bizarre move, even to the national press. CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy tweeted, “Not only stunning the White House is doing this, but equally stunning they are publicly boasting about it.”
Not only stunning the White House is doing this, but equally stunning they are publicly boasting about it. https://t.co/ZjGoXszNwi
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) August 27, 2020
Trump has had a years-long anger with the press. In August of 2019, the New York Times reported that a network of conservative pundits had allied with the White House in an operation targeting journalists whose coverage is considered hostile to the White House.
The Washington Post has defended their reporters from the president’s attacks. In September of 2019, Washington Post editor Marty Baron called Trump’s attacks on his reporters, “unwarranted and dangerous,” adding that “it represents a threat to a free press in this country.”
