Add The New York Post on Google A Washington Post opinion writer called a source for his own paper’s newsroom a “traitor,” saying the person “ought to be prosecuted” for leaking confidential US military info to reporters.
Marc Thiessen, a conservative columnist for the broadsheet, was outraged over his colleagues’ reporting that top military brass have warned War Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonged large-scale operations against Iran risk weakening the US’ ability to confront threats at home.
The article, which was published Sunday, noted the warnings were contained in a classified Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, citing anonymous sources familiar with the assessment.
Whoever leaked this is a traitor and ought to be prosecuted https://t.co/yrJWrguNiO
“Whoever leaked this is a traitor and ought to be prosecuted,” Thiessen, who previously served as chief speechwriter for former President George W. Bush, wrote in a post on X Sunday evening.
Josh Rogin, another Washington Post columnist, jabbed at Thiessen’s post, responding with a statement from the newspaper that read: “The assertion that such publication is a crime is both incorrect and irresponsible.”
Thiessen clapped back, replying: “I said whoever LEAKED it, Josh. You do get that a government official leaking classified information to the press is committing a crime, right?”
The unusual infighting among columnists on the same paper’s opinion slate caught the attention of Benjamin Mullin, the New York Times’ media reporter.
“This is unusual: a Washington Post columnist is calling for the prosecution of the newspaper’s sources,” Mullin wrote.
Thiessen had a quick retort for Mullin, too, writing that he has always gone after government whistleblowers, specifically noting Edward Snowden and Julian Assange.
“You must have missed my columns in the Post over the last 16 years on Snowden and Assange. Been pretty consistent,” Thiessen wrote.
The WaPo report on the warning to Hegseth drew harsh criticism from the government, which alleged the leak from anonymous officials amounted to a criminal offense.
“Publishing highly classified assessments from the Secretary’s orders book is a crime. It’s a betrayal of the force. And much of what they’re publishing is inaccurate,” Hegseth spokesman Sean Parnell wrote on X.
“Of course, we demand candid military advice. Non-concurs are standard. The Secretary sees them constantly. That’s how you run a real military,” he continued. “We are in great shape around the world. This story isn’t about readiness. It’s TDS and PDS — they hate President Trump and Secretary Hegseth more than they love America.”
Dan Lamothe, a military affairs reporter for the Washington Post who contributed to the report, dismissed the Pentagon’s scathing evaluation.
“Fact check: Independent journalism is not a crime,” he wrote. “It’s also especially important at a time when government officials are withholding key details and concerns about a war being fought on behalf of the American people with their taxpayer dollars.”
