President Trump’s friend, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, started a media storm Monday evening when he told PBS’s Judy Woodruff that Trump was “considering perhaps terminating the special counsel” Robert Mueller, who is overseeing the Russia investigation.

“I think he’s weighing that option,” Ruddy said.

Between the lines: Ruddy never actually spoke to Trump about firing Mueller, a source close to Ruddy tells me, but was reading between the lines of what others had said. Indeed, Ruddy referred to comments from Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s lawyers, who didn’t rule out that Trump might fire Mueller in an appearance Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

Sean Spicer confirmed Trump hadn’t discussed the matter with Ruddy: “Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment.”