> Later in the week, I verified that the text exchange had genuinely been with Halligan—or, at least, with Halligan’s phone.
"My brother hacked my phone, I swear!"
I just hope the grownups come back before the kids burn the house down completely.
Actual photo of the historic East Wing of the White House today: https://i.redd.it/vchtk38rijwf1.jpeg
I once got scammed out of $350 for some speakers sold out of the back of a van, in traffic. I could not admit it for years. I kept pretending they were great, even in front of my audio engineer friends.
How do we bring our friends who got politically scammed, in from the cold? We all get scammed sometimes.
Perhaps this cultural trait is one of the major reasons why the US is in the situation it's in.
What a shitshow.
At the bottom of the article.
I do wonder how Signal deleting the texts automatically would be interpreted in a legal context.
(The Thick of It, by Armando Ianucci - also the creator of Veep with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - is a political satire TV series about bumbling government employees).
actionfromafar•1h ago
I don't get it. The Trumpsters play it like it's already a dictatorship. You can't threaten the press like this so soon. That only works when you have a firm grip on power and a credible history of jailing and exiling journalists.
It's like she watched Hegseth drunk texting in Signalgate and thought, "which journalist could I add on Signal".
fzeroracer•1h ago
netsharc•1h ago
afavour•1h ago
I feel like a lot of them genuinely think that we’re past the point of no return and they will experience no repercussions. I’d have expected Halligan to have a different view given her legal training, but…
slg•1h ago
harimau777•1h ago
There's also the fact that MAGA is putting their thumb more and more on the election scales. I'm already not sure I think the next election will be fair considering how much MAGA has cheated already.
rand846633•1h ago
afavour•1h ago
You’re right to call out Democrats too. It baffles me. Like Trump destroying the East wing of the White House. Universally not popular (not necessarily unpopular with all but no one is cheering it). Where are the press conferences being held outside to highlight it and show the people how little regard Trump has for the “People’s House”. It’s an easy lay up.
phkahler•23m ago
Its also largely irrelevant. Maybe the left is starting to focus on stuff that matters instead of just trying to create outrage?
afavour•6m ago
It’s possible to overthink politics sometimes. No one is saying “ugh, why are people pointing out that Trump is destroying the White House?”. It’s obvious why.
Trasmatta•1h ago
If the group in charge has made their dictatorial ambitions clear, the only rational approach for the opposition to take is to treat that seriously. Do we just pretend like they're kidding?
profsummergig•52m ago
2020: 46.8%
2024: 49.8%
bsder•52m ago
People are fighting it, but it's not being covered. For example, the fact that legal cases are in the courts at all is because a bunch of Attorney Generals from many states were working together to file them even before Trump got elected. How big were the protests this last weekend near you? Were they covered at all? etc.
But that kind of stuff is boring--no engagement metric inflation here; so no coverage.
Perhaps now that government is actually shut down people will start paying attention. But I doubt it ...
> ostensibly apolitical corporations
Oh, you sweet, summer child.
freen•1h ago
Because then you won’t go to jail.
See Santos.
njovin•1h ago
netsharc•55m ago
Because I expect the 2026 or 2028 elections to be held more with Russian, Turkish, or Hungarian standards rather than 80's Hollywood movie idea of America's standard. The Dems and courts are going to cry foul, and the regime will just laugh at their faces and continue to rule.
afavour•2m ago
Once the army fires on peaceful protestors protesting a corrupt election? That’s the point of no return.