John Bickley

And we already kind of knew the FBI knew it was real, but the sort of real-time details, like on the very same day they knew it was real, that's new. And it's extra insidious because... If you go back to that time, which is now five years ago, the FBI was running around that same week saying, well, we're looking into this being a Russian information dump.

So on the same week, the same day, they knew it was real. They were counter-programming the narrative, and they did it in this way. You can look up the AP story, FBI reviewing if it's Russian disinformation, person familiar with matter tells AP. And that's how they do stuff. They always do it as person familiar, but it's just them.

So on the same week, the same day, they knew it was real. They were counter-programming the narrative, and they did it in this way. You can look up the AP story, FBI reviewing if it's Russian disinformation, person familiar with matter tells AP. And that's how they do stuff. They always do it as person familiar, but it's just them.

And I've been a journalist long enough to know how that game works. And that's how when you see person familiar, it's usually the person, but they don't want to say it's themselves. And they were actively casting doubt on it when they knew it was real. And it's inescapable now that it was clearly so they could help steer the election towards Joe Biden, which is actually what happened.

And I've been a journalist long enough to know how that game works. And that's how when you see person familiar, it's usually the person, but they don't want to say it's themselves. And they were actively casting doubt on it when they knew it was real. And it's inescapable now that it was clearly so they could help steer the election towards Joe Biden, which is actually what happened.

Yeah, I mean, look, if you tried to defend the FBI with the DOJ, a lot of times they try to stay out of political matters right before an election. This would be your rationale for saying, well, they might not want to talk about this in public. But that's not actually what happened. We saw a proactive effort to actually discredit this report, correct?

Yeah, I mean, look, if you tried to defend the FBI with the DOJ, a lot of times they try to stay out of political matters right before an election. This would be your rationale for saying, well, they might not want to talk about this in public. But that's not actually what happened. We saw a proactive effort to actually discredit this report, correct?

No, I mean, if the FBI had just been like, look, you know, we're looking into this, but we're not going to comment, that would, I mean, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. It was their active effort to not just discredit, but to discredit when they were actually the ones who were speaking the falsehoods. We were trying to tell the truth.

No, I mean, if the FBI had just been like, look, you know, we're looking into this, but we're not going to comment, that would, I mean, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. It was their active effort to not just discredit, but to discredit when they were actually the ones who were speaking the falsehoods. We were trying to tell the truth.

They essentially ran an information operation on the American people. They spread us a bunch of BS because the truth was detrimental to Joe Biden. They didn't want it out.

They essentially ran an information operation on the American people. They spread us a bunch of BS because the truth was detrimental to Joe Biden. They didn't want it out.

I'm just curious, a little behind-the-scenes look. What was it like at The Post during this time? This must have been a tumultuous, chaotic moment for you guys. What was it like?

I'm just curious, a little behind-the-scenes look. What was it like at The Post during this time? This must have been a tumultuous, chaotic moment for you guys. What was it like?

Yeah, I mean, it was a crazy time. And it's almost like lore. It's like canon now. But, you know, this was a weird thing that Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon brought up in October before the election. And it's like, hey, guys, there's a laptop and the son left it at the repair shop. And, oh, the computer repairman's blind. And it's like it was just it was so crazy.

Yeah, I mean, it was a crazy time. And it's almost like lore. It's like canon now. But, you know, this was a weird thing that Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon brought up in October before the election. And it's like, hey, guys, there's a laptop and the son left it at the repair shop. And, oh, the computer repairman's blind. And it's like it was just it was so crazy.

So there was cause for skepticism there. And we spent a lot of time looking at it, and it was very wild stuff on there. But at the end of the day, we verified it. And the laptop is full of numbers. The laptop is full of billionaires, federal judges, everyone in the Biden orbit. And you can call these people up. I myself have many experiences. So there's an email from a very pathetic federal judge.

So there was cause for skepticism there. And we spent a lot of time looking at it, and it was very wild stuff on there. But at the end of the day, we verified it. And the laptop is full of numbers. The laptop is full of billionaires, federal judges, everyone in the Biden orbit. And you can call these people up. I myself have many experiences. So there's an email from a very pathetic federal judge.

emailing Hunter, and he's like, hey, hi. It was so great meeting you at that party. Any chance you could put in a word to your dad? Because he's obviously looking at the next rung up. And I called this judge, and federal judges' numbers are the hardest numbers to find. You can never, ever get those. They're very tricky. But I called his number.

emailing Hunter, and he's like, hey, hi. It was so great meeting you at that party. Any chance you could put in a word to your dad? Because he's obviously looking at the next rung up. And I called this judge, and federal judges' numbers are the hardest numbers to find. You can never, ever get those. They're very tricky. But I called his number.

He answered and I was like, I'm going to read this email back to you now. And it was just like, I'm not talking to you. Goodbye. And I did this dozens of times to very important people and not a single person ever said I never sent that email. That's not real. That's not everyone's president. Biden's number was in there. It has since been changed. So it was extensively authenticated.