It’s another backpedaling day in Washington, as Donald Trump attempts to do damage control. The New York Times published a bombshell story Thursday night about how Elon Musk was headed to the Pentagon Friday to be briefed on war plans with China, which is utterly beyond his scope as an unelected official and a massive expansion of his already too great power. Trump, went on the warpath and denounced the Times and “Maggot Haberman, as you read here.” But now it comes out today that Trump himself had a meeting scheduled in “The Tank” at the Pentagon and that has been canceled. Additionally, Musk is hot and bothered about prosecuting the “leakers” of the “fake” story. If the story is fake, what’s the big deal?
The New York Times reported that Musk would be briefed on secret war plans for China, something Musk, Trump and others denied. Musk called the report “pure propaganda” and urged legal action against leakers.—“I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT. They will be found,” he wrote on X before the Hegseth meeting.—At the White House after the meeting, Trump said that he did not want to show the United States’ plans for a potential war with China to anybody and hinted at Musk’s potential conflict of interest.—
“I don’t want to show that to anybody. But certainly you wouldn’t show it to a businessman, who is helping us so much,” Trump said. “Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that,” Trump said.—Standing next to Trump, Hegseth said that he had an informal conversation with Musk which focused innovation and efficiencies.—“There was no war plans, no Chinese war plans. There was no secret plans,” Hegseth said.—Following controversy over the New York Times story, a planned meeting between Trump and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a secure meeting room in the Pentagon, known as “The Tank,” ultimately did not take place.
This is disgusting that America has sunk to this level, but sunk to it we have. You can tell by how jittery Hegseth is that he’s hoping he sells the line of bull that he’s pushing and Trump is his usual rabid attack dog self, making no sense. All this, plus the fact that the meeting in “The Tank” got canceled for today, makes me believe that the Times story is completely on the level.
The fact that Elon wants to persecute/prosecute the people who leaked the story also tells you everything that you need to know. It’s just one more example on one more day that Trump and Musk can’t just walk in and take over the government. But they will keep trying. Make no mistake.
**************
Zoomers, if you have any spare change in your couch cushions, we could use it. People are tuned out to politics, because a lot of people just don’t have the stomach for the story you read here or others like it. But we need to hold the line and stay in business. To those who have already donated, many thanks. Ursula
When lawless nazi child killers take over…all bets are off. Did the French resistance fighters break the ‘law’ by destroying nazi railroads…blowing up bridges…etc.? Sure they did…if Trump, Musk, the corrupt Supreme Court, the gop, etc…are now the law…then phuck the law. Of course they will NEVER tell the truth about ANYTHING. Just sit back and watch HELL unfold, as it already has for many poor souls. Funny…I cry for the innocent…I’ve never shed one phucking tear for a dead nazi or any of their losses. Never have…never will. I’ll leave that for you good nazi Americans…you PHUCKING EVIL TRAITORS. When does he tear up Pennsylvania Avenue by holding a putin parade of tanks and missiles? Keep us up on the latest outrage Ursula. Given the size and ferocity of the fascist shitstorm, it will be a challenge.
How in the world did the Muskrat ever earn those billions and billions with the level of stupidity he’s displaying here?
For starters, he wants to “prosecute the leakers” but if there was no planned meeting to discuss the “leaked” information, then there can’t be any “leakers” to prosecute. Then, according to Drumpf himself, the story was all fake so, again, if the story was fake, then no “leakers” to prosecute.
Hmm. Maybe I’m closer to understanding his thought processes when he decided to buy Twitter. He’s a frakkin’ moron who makes Forrest Gump look like Albert Einstein by comparison.
Joseph, he bought Twitter with the express notion of using it as a propaganda tool to get Trumpler elected. It worked, along with all that Russian help. Like Trump, Musk is a moron but has a cunning little lizard brain when it comes to grift. All con men need that.
We need to dismantle that lizard brain then
I think that everybody is wrong who asserts that untrue information cannot be leaked. I think that this scenario is unlikely, but possible:
A disgruntled employee wishes to cause trouble for the boss. The employee writes a memo that contains false information that would embarrass or anger his boss. The employee then privately sends the memo to the press. The press reports on the memo as though it had revealed true information; the press does not identify the employee who sent the memo. Perhaps the press does not even know the employee’s identity. The boss denounces the memo and says it is a lie.
Discussion: Was the memo “fake”? Yes, it was. Was the memo “leaked”? Yes, it was. It was distributed to the public without the employer’s authorization.
If you disagree with me, please provide your reasoning. Thank you.