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After the bombshell news broke last week about Trump calling dead war veterans “losers” and “suckers,” Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, says the story is just the tip of the iceberg.
“I would fully expect more reporting to come out about this. And more confirmation and new pieces of information in the coming days and weeks,” said Goldberg to CNN’s Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter. “We have a responsibility. And we’re going to do it regardless of what he says.”
While the magazine received backlash for the story because the information came from four anonymous sources, CNN confirmed The Atlantic’s reporting. Goldberg defended the use of such sources. He said that’s how the media is able to uncover stories that happen behind closed doors.
“We all have to use anonymous sources. Especially in a climate where the president of the United States tries to actively intimidate,” said Goldberg. “These are not people who are anonymous to me.”
The investigative reporter known for breaking the Watergate story that took down President Richard Nixon, Carl Bernstein, says that anonymous sourcing is crucial.
“Almost all 200 of our stories about Watergate were based on anonymous sourcing,” said Bernstein. “Reporting is almost uniformly based on anonymous sourcing. In part, because that’s the only way we can get to the truth.”
Related: Trump Calls Dead Veterans ‘Losers,’ ‘Suckers,’ Says Blistering Report
Trump lashed out at The Atlantic over the weekend by attacking the magazine’s majority owner, Laurene Powell Jobs.
“Steve Jobs would not be happy that his wife is wasting money he left her on a failing Radical Left Magazine that is run by a con man (Goldberg) and spews FAKE NEWS & HATE,” Trump tweeted. “Call her, write her, let her know how you feel!!!”
Goldberg responded, saying that the magazine will continue to report on the Trump administration.
“We’re not going to be intimidated by the President of the United States. We’re going to do our jobs.”
Trump also accused the media of launching a massive disinformation campaign, despite the verification of the anonymous sources, even by Fox News.
“The Democrats, together with the corrupt Fake News Media, have launched a massive Disinformation Campaign the likes of which has never been seen before. They will say anything, like their recent lies about me and the Military, and hope that it sticks… But #MAGA gets it!”
Related: Cuomo Tells Trump He’d ‘better have an army’ to Protect Him
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