Jeffrey Goldberg on Exposing Signalgate: ‘I Think It’s Not That Hard to Just Say to Yourself, I Will Not Be Bullied by Any of This’

Goldberg And this is ░░░░░░░░ conversation that Shane and ░░░░░░░░ and others at The ░░░░░░░░ had It s like ░░░░░░░░ last thing that we ░░░░░░░░ to do maybe this ░░░░░░░░ controversial in some quarters ░░░░░░░░ s not controversial with ░░░░░░░░ the last thing we ░░░░░░░░ would want to do ░░░░░░░░ put Americans in harm ░░░░░░░░ way by putting out ░░░░░░░░ about a tactical issue ░░░░░░░░ technical tactic Well let ░░░░░░░░ read because this is ░░░░░░░░ mean so I m ░░░░░░░░ there this is coming ░░░░░░░░ my phone This is ░░░░░░░░ from some of Pete ░░░░░░░░ s statements in the ░░░░░░░░ chat And this is ░░░░░░░░ happening and this is ░░░░░░░░ 11 44 A M ░░░░░░░░ text Trigger based F ░░░░░░░░ first strike window starts ░░░░░░░░ terrorist is at his ░░░░░░░░ location so and this ░░░░░░░░ all caps SHOULD BE ░░░░░░░░ TIME Also strike drones ░░░░░░░░ MQ 9s which is ░░░░░░░░ technical designation for Reapers ░░░░░░░░ it goes on 14 ░░░░░░░░ more F 18s launch ░░░░░░░░ strike package 14 15 ░░░░░░░░ drones on target All ░░░░░░░░ again THIS IS WHEN ░░░░░░░░ FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY ░░░░░░░░ pending earlier trigger based ░░░░░░░░ 15 36 in other ░░░░░░░░ 3 36 P M ░░░░░░░░ Time F 18 second ░░░░░░░░ starts Also first sea ░░░░░░░░ Tomahawks launch Okay So ░░░░░░░░ mean like pressure test ░░░░░░░░ a little bit Like ░░░░░░░░ there any plausible argument ░░░░░░░░ Tulsi Gabbard is not ░░░░░░░░ when she says that ░░░░░░░░ not classified information GLASSER ░░░░░░░░ again I mean they ░░░░░░░░ offering us a farcical ░░░░░░░░ And what s remarkable ░░░░░░░░ me Jeff is that ░░░░░░░░ re getting so many ░░░░░░░░ to go along with ░░░░░░░░ You know you ve ░░░░░░░░ a few skeptical Republicans ░░░░░░░░ essentially you know Trump ░░░░░░░░ himself on forcing people ░░░░░░░░ go along with even ░░░░░░░░ most absurd things My ░░░░░░░░ to you is in ░░░░░░░░ of your you know ░░░░░░░░ about publishing this article ░░░░░░░░ discussions with Shane your ░░░░░░░░ did you ever anticipate ░░░░░░░░ they were simply going ░░░░░░░░ look you in the ░░░░░░░░ and say Oh no ░░░░░░░░ it s actually top ░░░░░░░░ the deportation flights of ░░░░░░░░ but absolutely we can ░░░░░░░░ in public about war ░░░░░░░░ that haven t happened ░░░░░░░░ Goldberg Look consistency is ░░░░░░░░ something that we experience ░░░░░░░░ much in politics and ░░░░░░░░ politics But you know ░░░░░░░░ I thought honestly and ░░░░░░░░ might have a different ░░░░░░░░ what I thought and ░░░░░░░░ on that morning that ░░░░░░░░ were posting or that ░░░░░░░░ were getting ready we ░░░░░░░░ the National Security Council ░░░░░░░░ asked the White House ░░░░░░░░ the first we had ░░░░░░░░ ask is this real ░░░░░░░░ mean obviously I felt ░░░░░░░░ it was real at ░░░░░░░░ point Is it real ░░░░░░░░ they came back with ░░░░░░░░ reasonable statement that said ░░░░░░░░ This is true and ░░░░░░░░ re looking into it ░░░░░░░░ then we published based ░░░░░░░░ that So at first ░░░░░░░░ reaction and that gave ░░░░░░░░ some indication false indication ░░░░░░░░ turns out that they ░░░░░░░░ going to then come ░░░░░░░░ and say Yeah this ░░░░░░░░ a big mistake a ░░░░░░░░ breach We re figuring ░░░░░░░░ who s responsible who ░░░░░░░░ going to take responsibility ░░░░░░░░ it and this is ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ it That s what ░░░░░░░░ have happened I think ░░░░░░░░ other administrations But they ░░░░░░░░ to a sort of ░░░░░░░░ automatic aggressive posture not ░░░░░░░░ thinking through the idea ░░░░░░░░ we had all of ░░░░░░░░ texts with us and ░░░░░░░░ just confirmed that they ░░░░░░░░ real So I mean ░░░░░░░░ know I don t ░░░░░░░░ first they were heading ░░░░░░░░ a pathway that we ░░░░░░░░ as White House correspondents ░░░░░░░░ which is like okay ░░░░░░░░ turn it into a ░░░░░░░░ or two day story ░░░░░░░░ saying yes when we ░░░░░░░░ a mistake it s ░░░░░░░░ doozy But BARRON Lopez ░░░░░░░░ they acknowledged that it ░░░░░░░░ real They said yes ░░░░░░░░ mistake was you know ░░░░░░░░ said this was inadvertent ░░░░░░░░ Signal chat is real ░░░░░░░░ then they went from ░░░░░░░░ to Pete Hegseth coming ░░░░░░░░ of the plane saying ░░░░░░░░ it s all a ░░░░░░░░ None of this was ░░░░░░░░ I mean it reminds ░░░░░░░░ of a story Peter ░░░░░░░░ you actually wrote a ░░░░░░░░ weeks ago that was ░░░░░░░░ this Trump tactic this ░░░░░░░░ House tactic of essentially ░░░░░░░░ all of their actions ░░░░░░░░ misleading statements false statements ░░░░░░░░ outright lies And so ░░░░░░░░ question I have Jeff ░░░░░░░░ you know they decided ░░░░░░░░ deploy that playbook with ░░░░░░░░ of you with The ░░░░░░░░ attempting to discredit you ░░░░░░░░ you think that there ░░░░░░░░ a lesson for the ░░░░░░░░ or others that are ░░░░░░░░ intimidated right now by ░░░░░░░░ administration in the way ░░░░░░░░ The Atlantic handled this ░░░░░░░░ Goldberg Well I mean ░░░░░░░░ And it s not ░░░░░░░░ s the playbook is ░░░░░░░░ continue to do your ░░░░░░░░ which is you know ░░░░░░░░ could only if you ░░░░░░░░ willing to be intimidated ░░░░░░░░ have to be willing ░░░░░░░░ be intimidated in order ░░░░░░░░ have an effective bully ░░░░░░░░ So when they and ░░░░░░░░ know I think this ░░░░░░░░ all been in public ░░░░░░░░ on Tuesday as they ░░░░░░░░ pushing back and saying ░░░░░░░░ re lying and we ░░░░░░░░ this and I m ░░░░░░░░ sleazebag and all these ░░░░░░░░ kind of things you ░░░░░░░░ Shane and I kind ░░░░░░░░ looked at each other ░░░░░░░░ our other colleagues and ░░░░░░░░ they re trying to ░░░░░░░░ us into putting out ░░░░░░░░ have to defend ourselves ░░░░░░░░ the charge that we ░░░░░░░░ lying So it didn ░░░░░░░░ make sense as a ░░░░░░░░ for their part But ░░░░░░░░ suppose and we could ░░░░░░░░ this in other parts ░░░░░░░░ journalism maybe and certainly ░░░░░░░░ other industries I suppose ░░░░░░░░ is a lesson here ░░░░░░░░ is and again you ░░░░░░░░ t want to sound ░░░░░░░░ know self righteous or ░░░░░░░░ but if you have ░░░░░░░░ truth and you re ░░░░░░░░ with the truth this ░░░░░░░░ a thing that happened ░░░░░░░░ s reality You got ░░░░░░░░ keep pressing it because ░░░░░░░░ know ultimately the voters ░░░░░░░░ citizens will recognize reality ░░░░░░░░ mean I think it ░░░░░░░░ not that hard to ░░░░░░░░ say to yourself I ░░░░░░░░ not be bullied by ░░░░░░░░ of this.”