Thread by @MollyMcKew

A lot of people are making a stink about this post. I'm just going to say this about it.

There is a group of people irrationally focused on trolling me. None of them know me or anything about me. This is not just online. It is in real life too. /1

Members of this group approach people who support my work & defame me. They mob people who post my work.

When I testified in Senate, they organized a call-in campaign insinuating complete lies about me. The campaign failed because several of the Senators targeted know me /2

But I know who was behind it, because all of the people trashing me happened to recommend the same replacement.

This person has networked with people in DC explicitly to say I am a "charlatan" or whatever. Again, person, you did this to some of my friends, and they told me /3

It doesn't matter when Senators, congressional staff, Generals, former spooks, or other experts tell you that I know my shit. Because, to be clear, I know my shit.

You may not know every aspect of my bio. A lot of things I do aren't public. /4

But I know who reads my work, asks my opinion and advice, and who I work with to actually fight this bloody war, instead of caucusing online with Hyena Corps as they laugh off Kremlin threat.

I know what I know b/c I work in countries working to counter Russian influence /5

I have learned from the best people, and fought beside them, and now I get to teach a new generation the new TTPs we are developing.

No. I'm not an academic. I have learned from the frontlines of this fight. I'm proud of it, and transparent about it. /6

People from a lot of frenzied teams are milling around me, accusing me of being on this team or that team, insisting I denounce people. This is bullsh*t.

You know whose team I'm on?
Mine.
Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know me, and is a liar. /8

And frankly, anyone who spend more time telling you who NOT to read or follow, who to denounce and troll, instead of how to better understand what we are up against -- is also bullshit.

Twitter doesn't need to be a lynch mob. And yet, some work from both sides to make it so /8

I'll tell you what I always tell you: read stuff for yourselves. Listen to the narrative of what people want you to believe, and understand the purpose of the information in front of you.

Are they arming you, or disarming you, in the fight? Bringing clarity or chaos? /9

Again -- I don't know why this group is irrationally focused on me or making you think I am a crazy person. I don't know any of them. They've never asked to meet me. They know jackf*ck about me, my expertise, my background. /10

So yes -- I question the motives of their irrational hate-trolling. I rarely say anything about it. Because wtf has time for that? I have work to do.

So do you. /11

That's all I'm going to say about it.

But if you start getting DMs from people that turn into to efforts to defame me, pour yourself a whiskey, toast the universe, and laugh it off -- like I do. /12

Addendum: Have greatly enjoyed the notes+DMs from so many of you re your experiences being targeted by these people. Helpful data. Sorry this is what you have to put up w/ for hanging around here, but I'm glad you do.

BTW -- if there's anything you want to know about me -- ask.

Tweeps: Since posting this last wk, many of you reached out w/ weird pings DMs emails & other engagements you've had w/ people asking you distrust my work or "denounce" your prior support of my views. I'm very concerned about extent to which these contacts now include threats /a1

If you have been hit up by someone & are willing to share, feel free to hit me up/send screenshots etc to the email on my twitter bio, or ping me here & I will DM you. I won't share your info etc publicly.

Apologies to those that have to endure this harassment. It's insane /a2

I mean, if someone I don't know goes around telling people they don't know that they have "nothing to lose" in "shutting [me] up" -- what does that make them? A stalker? Nutsburgers stuff. /a3