By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following a leaked preliminary Pentagon assessment that undermined President Trump’s claims of success in the recent Iran strikes, top allies Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted the validity of the report’s findings. However, they vehemently attacked the leakers responsible for the intelligence leak, accusing them of political motivations and criticizing the media coverage. Hegseth confirmed an FBI investigation was underway while arguing the damage was “severe and obliterated,” and Rubio labeled the leakers “professional stabbers.” Despite the attacks, Trump conceded the report’s accuracy while also lashing out at the media.
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Hegseth and Rubio Scramble to Smear Leakers Who Embarrassed Trump: It’s pretty clear what’s happening here, isn’t it? We’ve got a situation where information, likely damaging to the Trump administration, was released, and now two of the former President’s allies, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, are scrambling to discredit the source. The focus immediately shifts from the substance of the leaked information – the actual facts – to the supposed crime of the leak itself. This is the classic deflection tactic: make the messenger the villain, rather than address the message.
Essentially, there’s a knee-jerk reaction to protect the reputation of the former President, even at the expense of transparency and perhaps even national interests. The primary concern isn’t the truth or the accuracy of the information, but rather the political damage it inflicts. This kind of behavior is what you’d expect when loyalty to a person or an agenda outweighs the commitment to honesty. We have folks saying that the entire Trump administration was a sieve, with information constantly leaking out. And it’s fair to ask: why is the administration more concerned with plugging the leaks than with the truth?
It’s almost comical to watch, really. We see statements like “The Secretary of Leaks is mad that someone beat him to the punch,” or accusations of “MAGA normal” trying to spin the situation. The focus is on finding the leaker, even suggesting it might be someone within the administration itself, perhaps even a disgruntled insider. The situation is being framed as a political witch hunt, the priority is to silence the truth tellers. It’s about controlling the narrative. But, as many people point out, the facts are the problem, not the leakers.
The whole exercise is about damage control. We hear phrases like, “Perpetual Damage Control is right where I know I would want my SecDef and SecState to be…” and we’re left wondering if this is really about national security or just about keeping the former President from looking bad. The accusations are flying, with people throwing around terms like “gaslighting,” accusing the administration of actively trying to mislead the public.
The core issue here is that if the leaks are real, then Trump’s claim about his success of the mission was a lie. If the leaks are fake, then Trump and his administration have nothing to worry about. One thing is clear: the truth is getting buried under a mountain of political maneuvering. It’s a common playbook – deflect, distract, and attack the source – but it’s not a recipe for trust or accountability.
The rhetoric is heated, to say the least. There’s open disdain for the former President and his allies, with comments like “fuck those guys” expressing the frustration with the whole situation. There’s a deep sense of cynicism, with people questioning if there is any respect or regard for the truth whatsoever. The outrage is palpable and the feeling of distrust is overwhelming.
It’s easy to see why people are so angry and frustrated. Transparency is supposed to be a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. Instead, we are presented with a spectacle of denial, deflection, and attempts to silence those who dare to speak truth to power. It’s about prioritizing ego over the interests of the country. This whole situation is an embarrassment to the United States.
The push to find the leakers, while the actual information gets dismissed or obscured, confirms the priority of the former President’s ego above all else. It’s a narrative of lies and cover-ups. It’s a clear sign that the truth isn’t the goal here. It is a pathetic and cowardly attempt to control the narrative.