March 25, 2025

IT’S UNWISE TO BET AGAINST ELON (CONT’D):

Given Britain’s libel laws, the FT should be at least a little worried. . .

Posted at 10:34 pm by Glenn Reynolds 57

Loose Lips Sink Ships? Naw, Loose App Links to Security Lapse: Consequential Mistake?

The news hook title isn’t as crisp as World War II’s “Loose Lips Sink Ships.” It does send the relevant 21st-century message that digital communication systems have security flaws enemies can exploit to gather critical information.

WWII’s brilliant rhyme warned that loose talk in a New York bar could tell Nazi spies where to position U-boats to intercept convoys. My update repeats warnings everyone using a cellphone or email should already know: someone or some device can be monitoring your communications.

A little more:

On March 25, CIA Director John Ratcliffe told the Senate Intelligence Committee that when he became director, he was given a phone with Signal pre-loaded. He was briefed that Signal was “permissible” for work use, and “That is a practice that preceded the current administration to the Biden administration.”

Did the Biden administration discuss sensitive national security information on the phones? Who knows. I doubt Communist Chinese intelligence will tell us.

Did the Biden administration provide the Trump administration with Signal apps that included Goldberg’s contact information? A fair question to ask for those demanding a thorough investigation.

Matt Margolis of PJMedia writes, “This has all the hallmarks of a deliberate setup.”

I suspect an inadvertent mistake, but Margolis has a point given the corruption we’ve witnessed in the CIA and FBI. Russia Russia Russia was a hoax.

A bit more:

Signalgate is/was a mistake. A destructive mistake? No. It may simply be an accidental leak to media. But it must be thoroughly investigated, and that includes public testimony from Mr. Goldberg — under oath so he risks perjury charges.

Suggest you peruse the entire essay.

Posted at 10:25 pm by Austin Bay 33

THEY WANT IT TO BE CHINA, THOUGH:

Personally, I like it when people show our self-proclaimed betters a complete lack of respect:

Posted at 9:46 pm by Glenn Reynolds 88

OPEN THREAD: Enjoy this groovy Tuesday.

Posted at 9:30 pm by Glenn Reynolds 1250

CHANGE:

Posted at 8:45 pm by Glenn Reynolds 77

IT’S ALMOST AS THOUGH THEY WERE JUICING THE NUMBERS TO HELP GET HARRIS ELECTED:

Posted at 2:47 pm by Stephen Green 153

THIS MIGHT LEAVE A MARK: I’m not privy to all the facts here, so I won’t pre-judge it. But I’ll tell you this: Former RNC Chief of Staff Chris LaCivita is suing The Daily Beast for defamation, and he is being represented by Harmeet Dhillon’s firm.

I’d take this very seriously, given (1) the DB’s track record of (IMHO, of course) irresponsible gossip-mongering and a “mission” to insult Trump and people living in “flyover states”; and (2) Dhillon is a certified bad@ss.

Your mileage may vary, take only as directed, and if condition persists see a doctor.

Posted at 2:35 pm by Charles Glasser 27

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT JEFFREY GOLDBERG ACCIDENTALLY BEING ADDED TO A NATIONAL SECURITY CHAT:

According to the White House, the chat, which was started to discuss then-incoming attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, did exist. Goldberg was inadvertently added to it by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz — or someone on his behalf. President Donald Trump has since given Waltz a vote of confidence, saying that he has “learned a lesson.”

What’s not clear is whether any actual “war plans” or other classified information were disclosed, which is the heart of Goldberg’s contention. The White House is disputing his claim, and given his background, no one should be taking his word for it.

With that said, it was no doubt an unforced error to add Goldberg to the chat. The contact name used was “JG,” with Waltz (or his staffer) possibly mistaking it for administration official Jamieson Greer. Given how much the Trump administration has been targeted over the years with leaks, all of us would be forgiven for believing that Goldberg’s being a saved contact for any administration official is problematic. I’m not suggesting that Waltz did anything purposeful here. I truly believe this was an accident, but I am suggesting that he has no business ever being in contact with someone like Jeffrey Goldberg.

Indeed: Here’s What the Media Won’t Tell You About the Atlantic Hit Piece.

“There is a dispute over whether the term ‘war plans’ is being exaggerated,” [CNN’s Scott] Jennings noted, undercutting the central premise of the Atlantic report.

This is a significant issue. Goldberg has a history of publishing bogus hit pieces against Donald Trump.

In 2020, The Atlantic published a report claiming that Trump didn’t want to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 because the troops there who died in battle were “losers” and “suckers.” The article was quickly debunked after it was first published, and Goldberg even admitted that the story may have been wrong. Weather reports confirmed that Trump’s visit to the cemetery was canceled due to weather conditions.

During the 2024 election, Goldberg was responsible for another bogus hit piece against Trump that claimed Trump got angry at the bill for a deceased soldier’s funeral that he offered to pay for back in 2020, which reportedly cost $60,000. The story was clearly bogus, and other journalists had been pitched the same story but could tell it wasn’t legit and didn’t run it.

Goldberg has repeatedly sacrificed his credibility and the credibility of The Atlantic to push false narratives to undermine Trump. His track record of dishonest reporting speaks for itself, making skepticism not just reasonable but necessary. Given how eagerly the mainstream media rushed to declare the Steele dossier legitimate — only for it to be exposed as a sham — there’s every reason to doubt Goldberg’s framing of this story.

While legacy media fixates on process stories and supposed scandals, the bottom line remains clear: The Trump administration took decisive action to protect American interests, while its critics scramble to fabricate controversy.

As Ben Shapiro tweeted in October about Goldberg, “Barack Obama’s favorite stenographer is nothing if not predictable.”

As is the rest of the left’s response:

More here: Tulsi Gabbard Just Denied Democrats the ‘Signalgate’ Narrative They So Desperately Wanted. “[D]espite Warner’s posturing, he did not get the “gotcha” moment he sought. If there was no sensitive or classified information shared in that chat, then this whole thing amounts to a silly mistake that caused no harm to national security.”

Posted at 2:22 pm by Ed Driscoll 135

“BACK-TO-BACK” LAUNCHES IS THE 21ST CENTURY I’D BEEN HOPING FOR: NRO expands spy satellite network with back-to-back SpaceX launches. “‘Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 150 satellites, creating the largest and most capable government constellation on orbit in our nation’s history,’ the NRO said in a statement. ‘Continuing with this momentum, 2025 is set to be another dynamic year, with approximately one dozen NRO launches scheduled.'”

Posted at 1:45 pm by Stephen Green 54