Is Matt Drudge turning on President Trump?
That’s the question many journalists were asking following The New York Times’ report Monday night that Donald Trump Jr. received an email informing him ahead of a meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer that Russia was seeking to aid his father’s presidential campaign.
Drudge quickly made the story the banner on his influential site, the Drudge Report, complete with a picture of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, part of the city’s Red Square.
Journalists quickly took notice of Drudge’s attention to the story, with many speculating what it meant about whether Drudge — who was one of the Trump campaign’s biggest boosters — is now turning on the Trump White House.
“When do media supporters head for the lifeboats?” wondered NYT contributor Brendan Nyhan in reaction to Drudge’s banner.
Axios’ Jonathan Swan called Drudge’s attention to the story a “big deal.”
Others suggested that Drudge’s banner indicated that he was “turning on” the Trump family.
When do media supporters head for the lifeboats? pic.twitter.com/xAHyq8zU5s
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) July 11, 2017
When you lose Drudge… pic.twitter.com/wP0TWz1ScS
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) July 11, 2017
holy cow, even DRUDGE is turning on donald trump jr pic.twitter.com/388NoLcoYY
— Tom McKay (@thetomzone) July 11, 2017
whoa Drudge pic.twitter.com/kCSFfrR6Ri
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) July 11, 2017
Looks like @DonaldTrumpJr just lost @DRUDGE. pic.twitter.com/IwSoboSjaS
— Rob Tornoe (@RobTornoe) July 11, 2017
.@DonaldJTrumpJr: It’s a nothing burger!@DRUDGE_REPORT: pic.twitter.com/dEfmNyKd7a
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) July 11, 2017
This seems ominous pic.twitter.com/nsNM9YQhKq
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) July 11, 2017
Even the front of Drudge…! pic.twitter.com/QFgBs1VLMl
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 11, 2017
Drudge’s reaction to NYT story is… something pic.twitter.com/YYY8gPWqFN
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) July 11, 2017
When you’ve lost Drudge… pic.twitter.com/beyoZRKPI3
— kevin driscoll (@kevndriscoll) July 11, 2017
Looks like Trump has lost Drudge pic.twitter.com/h2O4Ju07Yh
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 11, 2017
“If I’ve lost Drudge…” https://t.co/a3woQLgbzr
— Anthony Zurcher (@awzurcher) July 11, 2017
Drudge Report makes its centerpiece story a photo of Red Square with two words “THE EMAIL” — and a link to NYT. pic.twitter.com/8J0Vs3x1V7
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 11, 2017
When you’ve lost Drudge https://t.co/6loELgVvj5
— Heidi N Moore (@moorehn) July 11, 2017
Big deal that Drudge is bantering the latest Don Jr story. pic.twitter.com/V7l7Ht1B94
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) July 11, 2017
Correction: an earlier version of this article referred to St. Basil’s as the Kremlin.