Karl Rove, a former White House chief of staff, blasted White House leakers on Monday.

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“I’ve never seen a White House leak as much against itself as this one and these are people putting their own personal agendas above those of the country and the president that they serve,” Rove told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria.” “Frankly it’s ridiculous, it’s despicable, it’s reprehensible and it does not help anyone.”

On Sunday Axios asked some of the administration’s most prolific leakers why they do it. One current White House official said, “It’s about ‘personal vendettas’ and keeping accurate records of the atmosphere in the White House.”

But Rove said it’s because President Trump gives them a “license” to leak to journalists.

“Who’s the biggest leaker in the White House?” he asked. “It’s the president of the United States who calls up media figures all of the time and tells them stuff that he shouldn’t be telling them.”

Rove added, the president must work hard to create an environment where people trust each other to stop leaks.

“This starts from the top,” he said. “If you create an environment in which people don’t leak against each other, then people will not leak against each other -- but there’s no magic order.”