Trump losing battle to make leaks 'the real story' in Russia probe

The Justice Department's move to appoint a special counsel to oversee the Russia investigation on Wednesday is the latest sign that President Trump is failing to make the leaks fueling allegations against him the "real story."

Since the beginning of his administration, Trump and his critics have engaged in a circular argument over whether the leaks or the allegations should inspire more public concern. From early disclosures about his then-national security adviser, Mike Flynn, to leaks about his private and heated phone conversation with the Australian prime minister in early February, Trump and his team have done battle over stories presented to reporters in the most negative light possible by government officials.

But those stories have also exposed missteps or misrepresentations from the administration, causing many of the president's opponents — and even some of his supporters — to look past the source of the information.

"There is such a dramatic imbalance between what is being reported through leaks and the leaking itself, that if this was Hillary Clinton's administration, I promise you, the leakers would have been the focus," said Mark Serrano, a Republican strategist. "With the [WikiLeaks] email scandal last year, the whole focus was the leaks and not the substance that was reported through those leaks."

"These are people who have, presumably, very high security clearances, who are using that for political purposes," Serrano added, referring to the leakers.