Controversies Surrounding Jeffrey Goldberg's Reporting on Trump

Specific Claims Attributed to Goldberg:

• Trump allegedly said, "Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers" regarding the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018.
• In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump allegedly referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as "suckers" for getting killed.
• Trump allegedly asked, "Who were the good guys in this war?" regarding World War I.
• When John McCain died in August 2018, Trump allegedly told his senior staff, "We're not going to support that loser's funeral," and became furious when he saw flags lowered to half-staff.
• Trump allegedly referred to former President George H.W. Bush as a "loser" for being shot down by the Japanese as a Navy pilot in World War II.

The Controversy:

The article, published on September 3, 2020, relied entirely on anonymous sources—four people with "firsthand knowledge" of the conversations. This sparked immediate criticism from Trump and his supporters.

"This report is false. President Trump holds the military in the highest regard. He's demonstrated his commitment to them at every turn: delivering on his promise to give our troops a much needed pay raise, increasing military spending, signing critical veterans reforms, and supporting military spouses. This has no basis in fact." - Alyssa Farah, White House spokesperson at the time

The controversy around this article focused on:

• Use of anonymous sources for such explosive claims during an election year
• Timing of the article's release, coming about two months before the 2020 presidential election
• The fact that no one was willing to go on the record with these accusations

In a CNN interview after publication, Goldberg defended his use of anonymous sources but conceded that "It's not good enough." He suggested that his sources remained anonymous because they feared "social media anger" and "personal safety."

Some news organizations like AP, Fox News, and The Washington Post confirmed elements of The Atlantic's reporting through their own anonymous sources, while others questioned its credibility due to a lack of named sources.

Specific Claims Attributed to Goldberg:

• According to the article, Trump allegedly said, "I need the kind of generals that Hitler had" in discussions with aides.
• The article claimed that Trump promised to pay for Vanessa Guillén's funeral costs but later reneged on this promise.
• According to "two anonymous sources present at a White House meeting," Trump allegedly said, "It doesn't cost 60,000 bucks to bury a f—ing Mexican. ... Don't pay it."

The Controversy:

This article generated immediate backlash, particularly from people directly mentioned in the story:

"I don't appreciate how you are exploiting my sister's death for politics. Trump did nothing but show respect to my family and Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today." - Mayra Guillén, Vanessa's sister

"Not only did he [Goldberg] misrepresent our conversation, but he outright LIED in HIS sensational story. He used and exploited my clients, and Vanessa Guillen's murder, for cheap political gain." - Natalie Khawam, attorney for the Guillén family

Mark Meadows, who was Trump's chief of staff in 2020-2021, also stated that he was present at the conversation mentioned in the article and denied the claims made:

"Any suggestion that President Trump disparaged Ms. Guillen or refused to pay for her funeral expenses is absolutely false." - Mark Meadows, former Trump chief of staff

The controversy centered around:

• Again using anonymous sources for explosive allegations during another election season
• Timing of publication (October 2024) shortly before another presidential election
• Direct contradictions from people directly involved in the story
• The sensitive nature of exploiting a murdered service member's story

This controversy was notable for the immediate and direct refutations from the Guillén family, who were central to the story, casting doubt on the report's accuracy. This differed from the "losers and suckers" controversy, which primarily featured denials from Trump and his staff rather than from third parties mentioned in the story.

Key Criticisms:

• Exclusive Reliance on Anonymous Sources: Many of Goldberg's most damaging stories about Trump rely entirely on unnamed sources, making independent verification difficult.
• Timing of Publications: Major stories with explosive allegations have tended to be published during campaign seasons or at politically sensitive moments.
• Goldberg's Own Admission: In a September 2020 interview, Goldberg acknowledged that anonymous sourcing is "not good enough" but defended it as necessary given concerns about "social media anger."
• Conflicting Accounts: In some cases, people directly mentioned in his stories (like the Guillén family) have directly contradicted his reporting.

Goldberg's Defense of His Methods:

Goldberg has defended his use of anonymous sources by arguing:

• Sources fear retaliation from Trump and his supporters
• The information is in the public interest
• Multiple sources corroborate the information
• Some reporting has been confirmed by other news outlets

"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. We have a responsibility and we're going to do it regardless of what he says" - Jeffrey Goldberg, on CNN's Reliable Sources in 2020

Critics argue that while anonymous sources are a legitimate journalistic tool, stories with such explosive allegations should have at least some on-the-record sources to establish credibility, especially when they involve private comments that are difficult to verify and when the timing appears politically motivated.