Flogging a narrative - someone has a vested interest not just in promoting a particular idea or position, but in communicating the idea that there’s a broad consensus for that idea or position. That’s the “narrative.”

For whatever reason (generally simply that that broad consensus doesn’t exist), they can’t simply report that some significant majority of people support the idea or position. So instead, they publish an anecdotal example of it - this particular person, who’s notable for whatever reason, supports it. Then the next day, they publish another. Then another. Then another. Then another.

The goal is simply to repeat the same idea enough times that people who aren’t really paying much attention will come to think that it must be a notably popular position, since they keep seeing it mentioned.

I have no doubt that an aide said what 's being reported. And I also have no doubt that a determined enough reporter could come up with pretty much any idea at all - for instance, that Kraft macaroni and cheese is the best food ever - then find some aide somewhere who would go on record saying it.