Unnamed Sources Quotes

Some of the best stories that I've gotten, that others have written about this administration, about the previous administration, you have to rely on anonymous sources.

Anonymous sources are a practice of American journalism in the 20th and 21st century, a relatively recent practice. The literary tradition of anonymity goes back to the Bible.

John Kerry says that foreign leaders want him to be president, but that he can't name the foreign leaders. That's all right, President Bush can't name them either.

What I can't do is have an intelligent conversation with [George Stephanopoulos] about a report in "The New York Times" that is unnamed, inconclusive, and based on something that isn't true.

In Washington, non-attribution is a way of life.

Do we believe the Russians or do we believe our own lying media? Yeah, believe the Russians hands down, believe the Russians hands down. And why do we know that Donald Trump called James Comey a nut job? Somebody, unnamed source, called the paper and read them what Trump said. And then Sean Spicer got on there and basically confirmed it by saying, "Well, yeah, but this was a little out of context here and there."

The entire report [on Russians hackers attacks] is based on unnamed sources who are perhaps doing something they shouldn't be doing by speaking to reporters or someone talking out of line about something that is absolutely not true.

I think that the media should stop with this unnamed source stuff, put names on a piece of paper and print it. If people aren't willing to put their name next to a quote, then the quote shouldn't be listed, period.

I don't know who did the hacking [through president election 2016]. The article is based on a lie that the R.N.C. was hacked. So the entire premise of the article is false. The sources are unnamed. And the report was inconclusive.The point is, though, we need to find out more facts about this situation. Then we can make intelligent decisions later, and you and I can have more intelligent conversation about what to do about it.

Casual reliance on unnamed sources...corrodes our credibility and, in cases that are rare but not rare enough, may abet journalistic malpractice.

My point is Trump is Trump. He's the same guy wherever he is. But the reporting on him on Middle East trip is nowhere near like the reporting on Trump when he's in Washington. There aren't any leaks. For example, we haven't yet seen a story quoting unnamed sources in the Saudi government saying that the king was profoundly embarrassed when Trump asked if there was a McDonald's nearby.

There's no credibility in anonymous sources.

Dedication: My thanks to the people who showed me that opera was stranger than I could imagine. I can best repay their kindness by not mentioning their names here.

Using these unnamed sources, if done properly, carefully and fairly, provides more accountability in government.