Dan Scavino, one of President Donald Trump’s longest-serving aides, has turned on the anonymous leakers he says are operating inside the administration. His furious social media post drew a mix of praise, mockery and QAnon-style numerology.
Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff, wrote: “To the anonymous clowns running to their ‘journalistic’ friends in the media, planting stories to target people, departments, and agencies, all to angle for the next big job you’ve dreamed of: You’re a bunch of pathetic, self-absorbed, egotistical losers! It’s no surprise at all, as we know who some of you disloyal, power-hungry cowards are,”
Among QAnon promoters, the message set off a fresh round of decoding. Joshua Reid, who hosts the “Daily Dose” podcast on Redpills.tv, said Scavino’s post “aligns with Q1139.” That refers to a 2018 message from the anonymous “Q” figure on 8chan, in which an anonymous user wrote “you have it all” and Q replied, “We certainly do.”
Reid went further, suggesting the post could signal a coming move against the press. “I have been saying for the last few years, that the Trump Administration is about to make a move on the MSM and their ‘anonymous’ sources that are used to construct false narratives and run influence operations,” Reid wrote. “Is Scavino giving us an indication that this is in play?”
Shady Grooove, co-host of the Rumble program “The MG Show,” shared the same Q drop with the caption, “We certainly do.”
Scavino also found support from outside the QAnon world. Former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz backed him, writing, “This is exactly the right take.” Jennifer Van Laar, managing editor of the conservative site RedState, agreed, saying, “Yep. People have tried that with me.”
Others read the post as a sign of a White House under pressure. Caitlin Doornbos, a reporter for the New York Post, wrote, “The White House is spinning out over news coverage ahead of midterms. It’s clear they are under intense stress. Election Day can’t come soon enough.”
Former Virginia GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, a frequent Trump critic, appeared amused by the infighting. “Ah….MAGA threatening MAGA …season opener,” she wrote.
National security journalist Laura Rozen responded with a pair of eyes emoji.
The episode shows how a single message from a senior aide can be read very differently depending on the audience. For some supporters, it confirmed a long-held belief that a crackdown on media sources is coming. For critics, and even some conservatives, it pointed to growing tension inside the administration as the midterm elections approach.