Infighting in the White House over leaking has become ugly, Axios reported on Monday.
Kelly Sadler, who is a special assistant to the president in the White House Office of Communications, accused her boss, White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp of being one of the major leakers in the White House.
She made the accusation directly to President Donald Trump when she was in a small meeting in the Oval Office that included only herself, Schlapp, the president, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, although the door to the room was open.
Trump had called the meeting shortly after word leaked that Sadler made insensitive comments about Sen. John McCain, who is suffering from brain cancer. Trump said Sadler would not be fired for her comment and added that he was no fan of McCain, but that his real concern was knowing who the leakers were.
After Sadler reportedly stunned those in the meeting by accusing Schlapp of being one of the worst leakers, Schlapp pushed back aggressively and defended herself in the room.
Axio reported that this conversation concerning leaking also was leaked, as were other internal meetings on the subject.
Axios stated that everyone working in the White House knows the leaker accusation has become the most powerful weapon you can wield against somebody you don't like, especially to Trump, and is always made without presenting evidence.
Although Sadler's comment that McCain's objections to then-CIA director nominee Gina Haspel didn't matter because "he's dying anyway" drew widespread, bipartisan criticism, the White House has so far declined to publicly apologize, according to the Business Insider.
Last week Politico reported that Trump has demanded changes to his communications team in an effort to crack down on leaks.
Kelly reportedly approved a plan that would fire some of the department’s midlevel and junior aides, according to three people familiar with the situation.
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