We say “fake news” a lot, but don’t often catch it in the act. But not today.
We got a live one.
Let me break it down for you how the international left runs ops.
There’s a lot to unpack.
1/
HERES WHAT HAPPENED.
A London* based legacy media site reports an American agency has changed its posture towards Russia.
No citations. No comment from the agency. Basically rumor.
NEXT. A U.S. based reporter posts it.
*remember this for later, it’s important.
2/
The tweet does 100k+, people are talking about it. DHS hears about it and puts out a statement:
“CISA remains committed to addressing all cyber threats to US critical infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture or priority on this front.”
3/
The DHS statement gets a fraction of the reach the original media does. so this aspect of the op is successful.
NOW HERES WHERE THINGS GET INTERESTING.
>> why did the Guardian write the article? Why did they write it **yeaterday**?
4/
Another dubiously sourced story, written by another journalist with a history of writing articles of dubious accuracy!
And in the exact same time frame (the last 36 hours).
Odd, no?
5/
To me, this smells like an OP
> push Zelinsky to demand an in-person meeting, tell POTUS “I’ll sign”
> EU photo op day before
> blindside him in the Oval with new demands + vague threats
> use the “Ben Rhodes echo chamber”to create the “pro-Putin” narrative.
But… whose op? 6/
Well, from my perspective, it sounds like this was one piece of a larger op targeting the President.
In fact, today we have coordinated statements from the French and the English.
>> remember: the thing that started it all was an article from the Guardian?
And that includes the threats apparently made to President Trump by Zelensky.
So, if I were advising @AGPamBondi, I would — out of an abundance of caution — open investigations into former officials involved. Were there Logan Act violations?
8/
@AGPamBondi Look at the pile-on from the usual suspects.
You think these people aren’t all on signal group chats together?
Of course they are.
Next: they’ll push Congress to hold hearings. They’ll use leaks from “holdovers” in the admin to dribble out rumor + speculation.
9/
@AGPamBondi Now, they’ll push back on this observation, “these things aren’t connected!”
But if you architect these ops well — the way Rhodes did — they’re top-down. Not every player knows they’re being played.
The relative calm in the Republican Party right now is almost certainly because of the Sword of Damocles that @elonmusk and @america PAC hold over the GOP caucus.
Allow me to explain:
1/9
The GOP previously had a very hard time holding the line for @realDonaldTrump.
This was because the money for re-election campaigns — AND PRIMARIES — was held by groups that were not, shall we say ,“aligned” with the President.
With @America PAC, this all changed.
2/9
Why is @America PAC a game-changer?
Previously if you wanted to run for office, you had to figure out who lived in your district.
And how to contact them.
And how to convince them to vote for you.
This data was held by groups that weren’t ~exactly~ “America First.”
3/9
Stopped by the White House today to just check in on old friends and colleagues and was struck by the new vibe:
> zero leaks
> total focus
> ENERGY
And most of all,
> patriotism and LOVE
@realDonaldTrump has assembled an amazing term 2 team.
Term 1 story time, below👇
1/
My dear friend and former NSC colleague, Rich Higgins — may God rest his soul — told me during the 2016 transition that we should expect it to be like “Omaha Beach.”
He was right in more ways than one.
2/
On day one, @EzraACohen and I realized that Ben Rhodes had embedded his staffers into NSC.
And we fought for weeks to get them sent back to their home agencies. To no avail.
Months later, those same staffers — who were likely leaking — enabled the first
Impeachment!
3/
I used to RED TEAM some of the U.S. government’s most sensitive plans as both a MILITARY OFFICER, and then as a WHITE HOUSE STAFFER.
And here’s what has me MOST CONCERNED about inauguration on Monday:
1/8
IDENTIFICATION.
Washington is famous for office badges, but for street based operations, my fear is that a small team with FAKE POLICE or MILITARY UNIFORM poses a serious risk.
Reports from Butler indicate poor ability to tell Friend-or-Foe. I doubt things have changed.
2/8
STAND OFF.
Washington buildings famously have height restrictions.
This means that with long range rifles (+drones, RPG’s, etc), there’s a lot of potential to reach out and “touch”.
3/8
I spent 4yrs on President Trump's National Security Council – first day to last – and I fear there are mistakes being made NOW re: NSC that will lead to four years of ineffective governance at best, betrayal at worst.
Out of loyalty to him, I am going public.
Here we go:
1/
Let me start by saying, this isn't about Rep. Waltz or Alex Wang, who I believe love POTUS and mean well.
But it appears they are getting bad advice that will have CASCADING and CATASTROPHIC impact on President Trump's ability to execute his agenda, end war, bring prosperity, etc.
2/
First: WHAT IS THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL?
Most people don't understand what the NSC actually **does**. Most people don't even know that it it as the White House.
I'll lay it out simply:
If the President is the owner of the football team, the NSC is the Quarterback.
3/
I spent a lot of December 2020 and January 2021 putting on workshops for junior political appointees in the Trump admin — doing resume reviews, mock interviews — and then opening up my modest Rolodex to try and get people interviews in tech.
Very few people, both before 1/6 and after, were interested in even talking to folks. There was a single organizational exception that I will not name, out of discretion and respect.
In the end, 80% of those I tried to “place,” did not have jobs afaik.
2/
Many have since found solid employment, but it was not easy, nor do I believe that they found positions that maximally utilized their skills, at an appropriate level of responsibility or compensation. Sure, call me biased, but these young staffers were (/are) my friends. I wanted the best for them and found it tough to deliver.
3/