In an interview with "The Washington Post", Mapes said Karl Rove was "an inspirational figure" for the critics of the segment. Rove called Mapes' work "the gift that keeps on giving" due to the story's lurid foundations and the apparent boost it gave to President Bush during his reelection campaign. Some Democratic critics of Bush, such as Terry McAuliffe and Maurice Hinchey, suggested that the memos originated from the Bush campaign with the purpose of discrediting the media's unveiling of Bush's National Guard service and changing the conversation from subjects like the Iraq War, singling out Rove, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., and Roger Stone. Rove and Stone denied involvement.