A Washington Post opinion writer has ignited controversy by labeling a source for his own newspaper's newsroom a "traitor" who "ought to be prosecuted" for leaking confidential U.S. military information.
Marc Thiessen, a conservative columnist and former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush, expressed outrage over a Washington Post report published Sunday. The article revealed that top military officials had warned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that prolonged large-scale operations against Iran could weaken the U.S. ability to address domestic threats. The report cited anonymous sources familiar with a classified Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book.
"Whoever leaked this is a traitor and ought to be prosecuted," Thiessen wrote on the social media platform X. "You do get that a government official leaking classified information to the press is committing a crime, right?"
Another Washington Post columnist, Josh Rogin, responded to Thiessen's post with a statement from the newspaper asserting, "The assertion that such publication is a crime is both incorrect and irresponsible."
The exchange drew attention from Benjamin Mullin, a media reporter for The New York Times, who noted the unusual nature of a columnist calling for the prosecution of his own paper's sources. Thiessen retorted that his stance on government whistleblowers, citing Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, has been consistent over his 16 years as a Post columnist.
The report itself faced strong criticism from the government. Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for Secretary Hegseth, stated on X that "Publishing highly classified assessments from the Secretary’s orders book is a crime. It’s a betrayal of the force. And much of what they’re publishing is inaccurate." Parnell added that while candid military advice is essential, the story was driven by political animus rather than actual readiness concerns.
Dan Lamothe, a military affairs reporter for The Washington Post who contributed to the report, dismissed the Pentagon's reaction. "Fact check: Independent journalism is not a crime," Lamothe wrote. "It’s also especially important at a time when government officials are withholding key details and concerns about a war being fought on behalf of the American people with their taxpayer dollars."