WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump vowed to root out “leakers” inside his White House Monday, describing them as “traitors and cowards” in a furious tweet after a series of embarrassing revelations.

“The so-called leaks coming out of the White House are a massive over exaggeration put out by the Fake News Media in order to make us look as bad as possible,” Trump claimed, before seemingly acknowledging they are in fact real.

“With that being said, leakers are traitors and cowards, and we will find out who they are!”

For almost a week, the White House has been roiled by revelations that an aide said Senator John McCain’s opposition to a presidential nominee did not matter because “he’s dying anyway.”

McCain, 81, who was held prisoner and tortured during the Vietnam War, is battling brain cancer.

Several officials publicly said that White House communications aide Kelly Sadler made the remarks in a staff meeting.

The White House has said the matter has been dealt with internally.