Analysis: Russian negotiators may well be laughing after Trump team texts reporter war plans
By James Matthews, US correspondent
This is a stone-cold scandal – extremely damaging, even for ‘teflon Don’.
A most sensitive military operation was reduced to an emoji-laden group chat – think lads organising a stag do – and it put American lives at risk.
And yet, the president of the United States claimed to know nothing about it – if that’s the truth, it’s scandal squared.
His denials at a news conference begged a number of follow-up questions – not least, if he didn’t know about it, why didn’t he?
It should be noted the journalist at the heart of the matter, Jeffrey Goldberg, says that he notified the White House of his intention to run the story hours before Donald Trump’s denial.
Are we really expected to believe the president wasn’t made aware?
It’s a question that needs answering, along with a number that interrogate the competence and credibility of the Trump administration.
Journalists will want to know the answers, as will America’s security partners.
- Did the president know that military plans were being laid out on the Signal app?
- Did he endorse that?
- Who else might have had access to that Signal group chat?
- What other classified material is discussed in group chat?
What will Russia make of this?
They are questions being asked at the very moment that US officials are sitting down with the Russians to discuss peace in Ukraine.
They include Steve Witkoff – for reference, he’s the man on the Signal chat who weighed in with five emojis after the Houthi bombing – including 🙏🙏💪🏼 and two US flags.
Russian negotiators may well be 😂😂.
For an arrogant president who likes to project strength and certainty, this episode reeks of recklessness and embarrassment that risks undermining him in the eyes of his supporters as well as his opponents.
Spinning it as a political attack and trashing the journalist involved won’t be so easy.
The political gymnastics routinely deployed by the Trump administration don’t land so well when there are grim facts staring us all in the face, as laid out in reporting confirmed by the White House itself.
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