Former president Donald Trump reacted to the Supreme Court’s announcement that a monthlong investigation failed to uncover who leaked a draft of last year’s opinion overturning Roe v Wade to Politico by suggesting that the journalists who published the draft be jailed until they turn over a name.
Writing on Truth Social, Mr Trump wrote: “They’ll never find out, & it’s important that they do. So, go to the reporter & ask him/her who it was. If not given the answer, put whoever in jail until the answer is given. You might add the publisher and editor to the list”.
He later added that authorities should “stop playing games”because this leaking cannot be allowed to happen”.
“It won’t take long before the name of this slime is revealed! Arrest the reporter, publisher, editor – you’ll get your answer fast. Stop playing games and wasting time!” he said.
Under US law, journalists cannot be arrested for publishing a leaked Supreme Court opinion, nor can they be jailed to force them to reveal sources except in extremely limited circumstances.
Mr Trump has often called for journalists to be punished for reporting news that he considered unflattering. After news outlets reported that he was taken to a bunker beneath the White House during civil rights protests in 2020, he reportedly called for the reporters involved to be tried for treason.
