Did Trump Just Lose a Major Conservative Media Ally?

Matt Drudge has been in the White House an awful lot these days — “all the time,” as one senior administration official puts it. He’s met with President Donald Trump, spent time with Ivanka Trump, and doled out advice to Jared Kushner.

That he’d have influence in the Trump White House should not be all that surprising. The internet news tycoon, who founded and edits the Drudge Report, the narrative-setting conservative news website, has been one of Trump’s most ardent supporters since Trump announced his candidacy. He boosted him through the contentious Republican primaries, helped him defeat Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by galvanizing the GOP base, and, for the better half of his young presidency, has stayed in sync with the White House’s talking points.

But Drudge is blindly loyal to no one — which could, ultimately, make him as dangerous to this White House as he has been helpful to it. Indeed, lately Drudge has appeared irked by Trump and his White House, frustrated with the president’s inability to carry out the ambitious agenda he campaigned on. And he’s not being shy about it.

“He’s growing impatient,” one of the people close to Drudge told CNNMoney. “Drudge takes some credit, I think, for getting Trump elected into the White House and he expected him to follow through on the promises he campaigned on. Look, it’s not going well so far. Some of it is, but for the most part it’s trouble. Drudge can see that. He’s not blind to reality.”

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