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Axios
Axios
Politics
Jim VandeHei

Trump's 3 tweets: The aftermath of our story on Trump and nuking hurricanes

Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

President Trump tweeted on Tuesday night — for the third time — that Jonathan Swan's reporting on him asking if officials could explore using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from hitting the U.S. was ridiculous. 

Why it matters: We stand solidly behind our reporting. Before publishing, we gave the White House full visibility on the key details of our story, and more than nine hours to deny or push back against our reporting.


  • The article is meticulously sourced. 
  • Since we published, additional sources have corroborated our account.
  • The president made these comments in at least two separate meetings during his first 14 months in office. And on at least one occasion, they were memorialized in a National Security Council memo.

Between the lines: We go out of our way to cover Trump clinically, without emotion or bias.

  • We go the extra mile in all our stories to never throw sucker punches, and always give the Trump White House precise details of our reporting in advance, and ample time to respond. 
  • We have found Trump officials accessible, even when we report things they want kept secret.
  • We will continue this approach because we think it best serves all of you. 

Go deeper: Inside Trump’s fake news recidivism

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