The best way to get the news is from objective sources, and the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what’s happening in the world.

The line is typically cited to highlight a tension in how leaders consume information: the stated preference for “objective sources” is immediately undercut by defining objectivity as what one’s own staff reports. Read charitably, it underscores the practical reality that a president must rely on vetted briefings and trusted aides to filter vast amounts of information quickly. Read critically, it suggests an echo-chamber risk—where “objectivity” becomes synonymous with internal consensus or politically managed messaging rather than independent verification. The quote is often used in discussions of media skepticism, information gatekeeping, and the institutional mediation of “news” at the highest levels of government.