intelligence
Speaker Wars, Feds Suppressing Speech, DeSantis Shines
Listen to “Speaker Wars, Feds Suppressing Speech, DeSantis Shines” on Spreaker.
Dems Reject Lincoln Project, More U.S. War Admissions, Psaki Fans Abortion Protests
Jim Geraghty is back! Today, he and Greg get a kick out of the sleazy Lincoln Project vowing to help Democrat Tim Ryan win the Ohio Senate race and Ryan’s team makes it clear they don’t want the group anywhere near the campaign. Jim sounds off as the Biden administration publicly confirms even more intelligence work directly connected to Ukrainian military operations, including the sinking of the Moskva. And outgoing Press Secretary Jen Psaki refuses to tell abortion protesters to stay away from the private residences of Supreme Court justices.
Please visit our great sponsors:
Athletic Green
https://athleticgreens.com/martini
Free 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D and 5 Free travel packs with your first purchase.
My Pillow
https://www.mypillow.com/martini
It’s a BOGO Extravaganza! Buy One Get one on MyPillow Bed Sheets, Giza Elegance MyPillows, 6pc Towel sets, and Roll & Go Anywhere MyPillows and more!
Abortion & the Filibuster, Killing Russian Generals, The Aggressive Green Agenda
Join Greg and Emily Jashinsky of The Federalist as they welcome signs from Sen. Susan Collins that she has no intention of ending the filibuster to pass abortion legislation but they also note how abortion could cause tension inside a GOP coalition that now includes a lot of people who don’t consider themselves social conservatives. They also wonder why U.S. officials would publicly confirm that American intelligence has been directly involved in tracking and targeting Russian generals killed by Ukraine. And they fire back as Biden climate adviser Gina McCarthy vows an aggressive green agenda – including more than a hundred regulations on appliances and severe demands for “sustainable airlines.”
Please visit our great sponsors:
My Pillow
https://www.mypillow.com/martini
It’s a BOGO Extravaganza! Buy One Get one on MyPillow Bed Sheets, Giza Elegance MyPillows, 6pc Towel sets, and Roll & Go Anywhere MyPillows and more!
XChair
https://xchairmartini.com
Call 1-844-4xchair to save $100 today!
Israel’s Hi-Tech Iranian Strike, Amnesty Push Paused, Pentagon’s Shame
Listen to “Israel’s Hi-Tech Iranian Strike, Amnesty Push Paused, Pentagon’s Shame” on Spreaker.
Join Jim and Greg as they marvel at the new hi-tech details surrounding Israel’s successful targeting of an Iranian nuclear scientist back in November. They also welcome the perfectly logical conclusion of the Senate parliamentarian that amnesty for illegal immigrants does not belong in a budget reconciliation bill. And they vent as the Pentagon actually admits its ISIS-K drone strike actually killed a bunch of innocent people but top officials somehow stand by the intelligence behind the strike.
Please visit our great sponsors:
MasterWorks
https://masterworks.com/martini
Secure your spot with one of only 40 passes to skip the line! Only at Masterworks.com/martini
Express VPN
https://expressvpn.com/martini
Secure your online activity and get an extra 3-months free. Promo code Martini
Dem Calls ‘BS’ on Biden, Sullivan’s Terrible Answers, Vaccine Boosters
Listen to “Dem Calls ‘BS’ on Biden, Sullivan’s Terrible Answers, Vaccine Boosters” on Spreaker.
Join Jim and Greg as they welcome Dem Rep. Seth Moulton, a decorated veteran from the Iraq War, calling ‘BS’ on a key element of Biden’s speech. They also dissect National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s painfully bad news conference on Afghanistan. And they roll their eyes as the CDC urges Americans to get a COVID vaccine booster just days after saying it wasn’t necessary. Will people have to have this to be considered “fully vaccinated”?
Please visit our great sponsors:
Omaha
https://omahasteaks.com
Use keyword MARTINI to save over 50% on the Deluxe Grill Out Assortment Plus get 12 FREE Omaha Steaks Burgers.
XChair
https://xchair.commartini.com
Save $100 on your order and use code XWHEELS for a set of free X-Wheel Blade Casters.
Ex-Deputy National Security Adviser: ‘They Were Trying to Blackmail Me’
Listen to “Ex-Deputy National Security Adviser: ‘They Were Trying to Blackmail Me'” on Spreaker.
On Wednesday, handwritten notes concerning Trump National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn revealed FBI agents were approaching their January 2017 interview with Flynn for the purposes of trying to prosecute him or get him fired.
The news comes as no surprise to K.T. McFarland, who served as deputy national security adviser under Flynn, who says federal agents were looking to pin a crime on Flynn and President Trump where there was none The FBI also put the heat on McFarland to give up information it could use to incriminate Flynn or Trump.
In an interview, with Radio America’s Greg Corombos, McFarland says the FBI set a perjury trap for Flynn and she knows what one looks like because they tried to set one for her too.
“They were trying to blackmail Gen. Flynn. They were trying to blackmail me to either admit guilt to crimes we did not commit or to implicate others. In my case, it was to implicate Flynn or to implicate President Trump in crimes I didn’t think they had committed,” said McFarland.
She says the FBI tried to nab her in a perjury trap. And how does a perjury trap work?
“They control all your files, all your text messages, phone logs, emails. They have them. You don’t have them. They have them and they let you see a little bit here and a little bit there and then they quiz you on it.
“If you make any kind of mistake, you get the wrong date, you say, ‘I think that was Tuesday night’ and it was really Wednesday morning, then they can jump and say, ‘Well, you should have known that. We think you’re lying. Therefore, you’re committing perjury,” said McFarland.
Listen to the full podcast to hear the two reasons the FBI and intelligence community wanted Flynn out of the White House, what crimes the FBI wanted McFarland and others to point them too, and what needs to happen to make sure these sorts of tactics don’t happen again.
Adam Schiff Rebuffs Calls for Resignation
Listen to “Adam Schiff Rebuffs Calls for Resignation” on Spreaker.
During a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian election interference, Chairman Adam Schiff rejected calls from House Republicans to step down after the Mueller investigation found no evidence of collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia. Radio America’s Christian Whittle reports.
Avenatti Arrested, Impeachment Off the Table, Bad Week for Brennan
Listen to “Avenatti Arrested, Impeachment Off the Table, Bad Week for Brennan” on Spreaker.
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America settle in for three schadenfreude martinis today, kicking things off with the news that attention-seeking lawyer Michael Avenatti is charged with attempting to extort Nike for $20 million and stealing the damages awarded to his clients. They also welcome the news that House Democrats will not be pursuing the impeachment of President Trump. And they blast former CIA director John Brennan for joining “the resistance” and damaging not only his reputation, but also the reputation of the intelligence community, by perpetuating the Russia collusion conspiracy.
‘You Cannot Unring A Bell’
A former high-ranking CIA official says President Trump’s refusal to stand by the U.S. intelligence community while on stage with Russia’s Vladimir Putin is “devastating” and believes Trump’s efforts to walk back those words on Tuesday was thoroughly meaningless.
Herbert E. Meyer served as special assistant to Reagan-era CIA Director William Casey and also as vice chairman of the CIA’s National Intelligence Council. He’s also an accomplished producer and author, most recently writing the booklet, “Why is the World So Dangerous.”
As a Trump voter, Meyer says the president’s inability to decide whether U.S. intelligence or Vladimir Putin is telling the truth about meddling in the 2016 campaign, is deeply disappointing.
“He’s done a lot of good things and I’m supporting him. What he said in Helsinki was appalling. There’s just no way around it. He can apologize. He can back off, but you cannot unring a bell. What he said, the entire world heard it. Sorry, that was devastating,” said Meyer.
Meyer says Trump’s logic in granting equal weight to multiple U.S. intelligence reports and Putin’s denials would be considered ludicrous in any era of U.S. history.
“If somebody got up and said, ‘I don’t know, some people say the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor, but I was talking with the Japanese Prime Minister and he says they didn’t do it. I have complete confidence in our military, but I’m not sure who attacked us at Pearl Harbor,’ we would say that man’s an idiot,” said Meyer.
In addition to the lack of confidence Trump’s comments inflict among the various intelligence agencies, Meyer says the president isn’t even consistent with his own allies in Congress.
“He trashed not only our intelligence community, but the committees in Congress, Devin Nunes’ committee for example, that issued an extensive report a month ago on what happened,” said Meyer.
Nunes, R-Calif., chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Meyer says a damage to morale is significant damage to any organization and the intelligence agencies are no exception, but he says the repercussions are far more broad.
“It’s devastating, not just to the intelligence community. It’s devastating to the United States. If you are an ally of our country now, you can’t pay any attention to what he says, because if it bounces badly he’ll just say something else,” said Meyer.
On Tuesday, Trump read a statement indicating he did accept the conclusions of intelligence professionals that there was meddling in the 2016 campaign. But Meyer says the clarification still carries two problems, starting with the fact that it comes too late.
“When he walks it back today, it’s meaningless. It’s like saying, ‘I think you’re a liar. Oh no, I don’t think you’re a liar.’ It just means that words don’t mean anything anymore,” said Meyer.
“Why should anybody pay attention to what he said (Tuesday)? He’s only issuing a clarification because it blew up in his face. I was just watching it on TV when you called me. He doesn’t believe a word he’s saying. He’s sort of mumbling it and reading it.
“He’s not only the country’s president, he’s the guy I voted for, and what he’s saying is just awful,” added Meyer.
Meyer is confident Putin is loving every minute of the controversy. Her doesn’t believe Putin is changing any major policy or plans based on his perceived diplomatic victory, but there’s little doubt that the Russian leader considers Trump’s comments a big win.
“Putin’s primary objective in office is to humiliate the United States. That’s what he wants to do. Now you and I can say that doesn’t make any sense, but that’s what he wants to do. If he could throw a banana peel under our feet, he would rather do that than have another one percent economic growth in Russia,” said Meyer.
Meyer says Trump is causing all sorts of trouble for himself by conflating Russian meddling with political collusion in his own campaign, when the two are distinctly separate issues.
“He folded the two of them together and made everything confused,” said Meyer.
So, is there an avenue for Trump to repair relations with our intelligence agencies? Meyer’s short answer is no.
“The president and I are the same age. Guys our age don’t change. Sorry, what you see is what you get. Words don’t mean anything. He could say anything. He can go out to Langley and give a speech and all that. It doesn’t mean anything. He stood on stage with the leader of Russia and trashed American intelligence,” said Meyer, who finds himself wincing as an American and as a Trump supporter.
“He’s wounded himself and that’s very bad for the United States, whether you’re Republican or Democrat. We have a president with a self-inflicted wound and that’s bad,” he said.