CNN - The curious case of the White House official Trump says 'doesn't exist'

On Thursday the Trump administration held a "background briefing" where a "senior White House official" provided information to reporters from The New York Times, CNN and lots of other news outlets.

 

On Saturday, President Trump claimed the aide "doesn't exist."

 

It's a flagrant example of Trump's problem with the truth.

 

The president frequently claims, without evidence, that journalists make up sources. This is widely recognized to be a fib at best and a lie at worst.

 

He said it again in a tweet against The Times on Saturday: "Use real people, not phony sources."

 

But members of the White House press corps quickly pointed out that the unnamed "official" met with a roomful of reporters. Trump's claim was easily proven false.

 

To attend the briefing - about the status of President Trump's possible summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - reporters had to agree to leave the aide's name out of their stories.

 

This tactic, a "background briefing," is frequently employed by White House press shops. Reporters regularly object to it, but it's a long standing fact of White House coverage.