The Object of McMaster’s Obsession

On this week’s first episode of The E.R., FP’s executive editor for news Sharon Weinberger is joined by Elias Groll and Jana Winter, co-authors of the FP exclusive “Here’s the Memo That Blew Up the NSC.” The memo, attributed to now-former NSC staffer Rich Higgins, is a seven-page polemic detailing a vast conspiracy to sideline the Trump White House. A source says the controversy over the memo erupted within the National Security Council when National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster became suspicious of NSC staff he suspected of leaking information to pro-Trump blogger Mike Cernovich.

Cernovich himself joins the panel to discuss his reaction to the story and his motivations for attacking McMaster.

Critics call Cernovich a vocal promoter of the alt-right, an association he now disavows. But he has made no secret of his displeasure with McMaster, including launching a website soliciting leaks casting the national security advisor in a negative light. But can Cernovich call himself a journalist while actively advocating for McMaster’s dismissal?

Mike Cernovich is a national security reporter, lawyer, and documentary filmmaker. Follow him on Twitter: @Cernovich.

Elias Groll is a staff writer at Foreign Policy, covering cyberspace and its conflicts and controversies. Follow him on Twitter: @EliasGroll.

Jana Winter is an investigative reporter based in Washington DC. She worked previously as a national security reporter at The Intercept and breaking news/investigative reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow her on Twitter: @janawinter

Sharon Weinberger is FP’s executive editor for news. She is the author of The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency That Changed the World. Follow her on Twitter: @weinbergersa.

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