UJ
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The disclosure that aides to President Trump compromised national security by discussing military action in a Signal chat that included a journalist is embarrassing for all parties involved – underscoring a significant test for MAGA media’s capacity to deny, dismiss, and deflect.
Media outlets favored by the president are mostly minimizing the incident and mocking the reporter invited to the chat, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. On X, Elon Musk and his followers are making light of the controversy. Additionally, some pro-Trump outlets are attempting to ignore it completely.
This situation is reminiscent of Trump’s first term, during which legitimate news stories were repeatedly dismissed by right-wing commentary platforms. As was evident then, the media consumption habits of the president significantly influence his staffing and policy choices.
Presently, the guidance from his Fox News allies appears to be to ride out the storm.
Numerous pro-Trump media personalities are echoing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who returned to his Fox hosting roots by labeling Goldberg a “discredited so-called journalist whose career revolves around promoting hoaxes.”
Hegseth likely chose the term “hoax” deliberately as it strongly resonates with Trump. The president has a long-standing practice of discrediting damaging news by branding them as “hoaxes,” irrespective of the facts. This term serves as a signal for Trump supporters to disregard unfavorable reports.
Some individuals on the right quickly saw through the rhetorical tactic. “Oh for God’s sake,” remarked Fox chief political analyst Brit Hume on X, “the administration has already acknowledged the authenticity of the message.”
Hegseth’s claim that “nobody was texting war plans” was also countered by Goldberg, who told UJ’s Kaitlan Collins, “That’s a lie. He was texting war plans. He was texting attack plans.”
In a display of patriotism and legal prudence, Goldberg opted not to publish those texts. However, Hegseth’s denial provided MAGA media commentators with a lifeline, as they now claim there’s contention regarding the facts.
During a Fox News segment on Monday night, the leading pro-Trump network in the U.S., Sean Hannity expressed his frustration about “media hysteria.” Laura Ingraham dismissed the story, claiming “left-wing networks” were the ones concerned about it. Jesse Watters’ show suggested “WE’VE ALL TEXTED THE WRONG PERSON BEFORE.”
The Watters segment led Issac Saul, who operates Tangle News, to comment, “it’s extremely challenging to conduct political analysis when our two political factions exist in entirely separate information bubbles.”
On Tuesday morning, “Fox & Friends” opened with a segment focusing on deportations as a form of counter-programming.
When the show later covered the war plans leak, Steve Doocy adopted a relatively stern tone, stating “what was revealed was classified and top secret.” Guest host Kayleigh McEnany referred to it as “an obvious mistake,” yet cast doubt on Goldberg’s portrayal of events, asserting “he is not a credible reporter.” Lawrence Jones then remarked that “literally my only question” is how Goldberg ended up on the Signal chain.
Overall, it was a surprisingly lenient response to a significant security violation.
Breitbart and other MAGA media outlets have also targeted the messenger, arguing that media narratives hold little significance anymore.
This mirrors the strategy adopted by Trump White House officials and outside advisors. On Tuesday morning, Axios quoted an unnamed Trump advisor stating “we don’t care what the media says” and predicting “this will be forgotten soon.”
Nonetheless, the president has a history of being deeply affected by media coverage. On Tuesday morning, he conducted a phone interview with NBC News, an organization he criticized only days earlier, regarding the Signal controversy. (Trump expressed support for the beleaguered national security adviser Michael Waltz.)
Meanwhile, Goldberg’s article continues to be the most-read piece on The Atlantic’s website. In a Q&A with a colleague, Goldberg stated he remains unfazed by potential repercussions from the Trump administration.
“Unfortunately, in our society today — we observe this across corporate journalism, law firms, and other sectors — there’s an excess of preemptive compliance that doesn’t sit well with me,” Goldberg commented. “All we can do is continue to perform our duties.”
