This article is more than 2 years old.

November 22, 2016 This article is more than 2 years old.

Donald Trump’s advisors appear to have devised a clever strategy for getting their way with the US president-elect: lying to him.

The New York Times reports that incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus deceived his boss in order to thwart a planned interview with the newspaper:

It was Mr. Priebus who relayed to Mr. Trump, erroneously, that the Times had changed the conditions of the meeting, believing it would result in a cancellation, these people said.

Trump canceled the meeting with the Times with a tweet, then later agreed to keep the appointment.

Trump’s transition team didn’t immediately respond to an email about the incident. If the anecdote is true, it wouldn’t be the first time someone close to Trump lied to him in order to manipulate his views.

During the presidential campaign, the New York Post reported that Trump’s one-time campaign manager, Paul Manafort lied in order to keep New Jersey governor Chris Christie from being named Trump’s running mate:

After Trump tentatively decided on Christie, Manafort told Trump his plane had a mechanical problem, campaign sources said, forcing Trump to spend another night in the Hoosier State [Indiana]. Pence then made his case to be Trump’s No. 2 over dinner as Trump’s advisers argued that Christie’s Bridgegate troubles would sink the campaign.

The ruse seemed to work. Trump ultimately picked Indiana governor Mike Pence after spending another evening with Pence and his wife while the plane stayed grounded.