President Trump has reportedly asked for officials to prosecute whoever divulged that he was rushed to a bunker under the White House last month as nearby protests intensified.
The New York Times reported Wednesday evening that Mr. Trump recently made the request after his May 29 visit to the bunker was revealed by the media.
“Mr. Trump has also become consumed, once again, with leaks from the White House, demanding that officials find and prosecute those responsible for information getting out about his trip to the bunker beneath the White House during unruly protests,” The Times reported in an article based on interviews with several unnamed sources close to the president.
Maggie Haberman, a Times reporter who co-wrote the article, specified on Twitter that three people familiar with what Mr. Trump said told the paper that he wants the person or persons to be prosecuted.
The White House did not immediately return a message requesting comment.
Several news outlets previously reported that Mr. Trump was rushed to the bunker last month by the Secret Service and held there for about an hour due to security concerns prompted by a nearby protest over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody days earlier.
Mr. Trump subsequently acknowledged visiting the bunker that day, but he claimed it was merely for a routine inspection and not during the evening as multiple outlets reported.
Attorney General William P. Barr has since contradicted Mr. Trump by corroborating reports that the president was sheltered beneath the White House as a safety precaution.
“Things were so bad that the Secret Service recommended the president go down to the bunker,” Mr. Barr later said on Fox News. “We can’t have that in our country.”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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