WH Press Secretary Encourages Press to Leak Her Memo Slamming Press for Leaks: ‘Frankly Shameful’

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who has not held a public press briefing during her entire eight-month tenure, slammed the press in a memo sent to network TV anchors for leaking details of their off-the-record, pre-State-of-the-Union luncheon with President Donald Trump—and then strongly encouraged the press to leak said memo.

Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple released the full memo on Thursday, which was apparently sent out just house before Trump’s speech and then subsequently leaked to Wemple.

Here’s the email that @presssec Stephanie Grisham sent to TV anchors after details from their pre-SOTU session leaked into the public sphere on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/lzEZBglx6i

— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) February 6, 2020

In the memo, Grisham complained that Trump spent so much time answering so many questions that “he didn’t eat his own lunch” and even “graciously gave you a couple of items on the record and then spoke frankly, honestly, and most importantly in good faith that it was off the record.”

She then said it was “disappointing” that “not even an hour passed” before she began fielding questions and seeing reports from other news outlets about Trumps’s comments. News organizations like the Post published details of the meeting almost as soon as it concluded and included direct quotes of the president — it was not clear if they were the approved, on-the-record portions — such as when Trump again insisted that “it was a perfect phone call” when pressed about Sen. Susan Collins’ prediction he would learn a “pretty big lesson” from being impeached.

“To me, it is the height of hypocrisy that a press bemoans the perceived lack of ethical behavior in this Administration, so brazenly violates its own ethical standards,” Grisham said, railing against the unnamed leakers. “The media cries for more access bu cannot adhere to a simple agreed upon standard of off-the-record, which allowed your colleagues who were not in attendance, to break news for you.”

However, the Trump administration practices its own hypocrisy, with its long track record of manipulating attribution and forcing the press to accept background briefings, only to turn around and blast the press and dismiss any reporting that cites those same unnamed administration sources.

“‘We hold the powerful accountable’ is a mantra that many in the press righteously shout from every news desk in this county. [sic],” Grisham added. “I ask — who holds all of you accountable?” She then blasted the leaks, which she clearly implied came from the news anchors and not White House staffers, as “beyond disappointing” and “frankly shameful.”

Then, just five paragraphs after blasting the “hypocrisy” of the press for allegedly leaking the president’s comments, she all but called for the same press corps to leak the very memo in which she is attacking the press for leaks.

“In closing, I must say for once I wouldn’t mind if this email leaked, but somehow I doubt anyone will want to admit to this complete lapse in integrity.”

Turns out, Grisham’s wish was granted.

Read the full memo below.