Thread by @JoshuaSteinman

Debunked stories like this (see @NeilPatelTDC’s post explaining that the story is fake) are often used by political leaders to get the intelligence services to spy on their adversaries (in this case, pro-Trump conservatives).

Here’s how it happens:

1/8

https://twitter.com/newsweek/status/1792919401609474545

It all starts with political frustration.

When the powers that be are unable to “best” their competition legitimately, they turn to the intelligence services to dig up dirt (or to create the illusion of dirt).

BUT.

They can’t do it directly. So instead…

2/8

The political forces create a story about some kind of foreign connection to the target.

This can be real, or fabricated (e.g. Team Hillary’s fabricated ‘Alpha Bank’ story).

And they make sure it gets a lot of press.

THEN THEY SET THE TRAP.

3/8

With a “crEdIblE ACcusAtIOn” now in the press, someone inside the intelligence community can plausibly TASK government assets to “look into” the issue.

They’ll say things like “well 😂 we 🤣 just 😂 need 🤣 to 🤣 be 😂 sure!”

Here’s where it gets interesting…

4/8

Thanks to FISA section 702, this means that the US intelligence community — and likely others — can start reading EVERY PIECE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION they can get their hands on.

Reminder: these are US citizens.

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The desired end-state here is to have LOTS of people reading these private communications.

And it creates an opportunity for illegal (but never prosecuted) leaks.

And that is the point.

6/8

At the end of the day, the point is to find embarrassing or out of context information about the target or their connections.

Tucker has already been targeted.

It’s now clear he is being targeted again.

7/8

Just like how these fake stories were spun up in 2016 against President Trump, the PAST IS PROLOGUE.

US Government resources are almost certainly being used again (!!) to manipulate the 2024 election.

Stay sharp out there.

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