As Twitchy reported earlier Monday, unnamed sources — “people” — told The Wall Street Journal’s Del Quentin Wilber that when FBI agent Peter Strzok sent that message about the risk of Donald Trump being elected president and the FBI’s “insurance policy” just in case, he was just cautioning the FBI not to move too slowly in its investigation under the certain assumption that Hillary Clinton would win.
Got it.
It seems people aren’t buying that account, and Wilber took to Twitter after the story made the rounds to explain how that explanation makes sense. His thread is worth reading for an overview of the controversy, and it might provide a laugh or two along the way.
Hang in there — it does go on a bit.
*An Important thread* explaining the article https://t.co/QSWlUBvBfI
— Blue In Greene (@blueingreenemo) December 18, 2017
A Twitter thread longer than the article it’s about, it looks like.
Bunch of people saying on Twitter that the explanation for the “insurance” text I cited in my story is bogus or meaningless or carrying their water. So I’m going to walk through why it makes sense and why it’s important. 1/x (get a script to read this) https://t.co/JKStsZVsoW
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
Peter Strzok, the FBI agent, and Lisa Page, the FBI lawyer, were having an affair. They were texting about everything (sharply critical of Bernie Sanders, Chelsea Clinton, Eric Holder, esp Trump). Even the Russia probe. They even joked about potential code names for it. 2/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
She suggested Latitude because it sounded military but wasn’t specific enough to draw attention. He thought that was good, but then jokingly proposed “YUUUGE,” (Trump’s NY accent version of HUGE). But he noted he might save that one if the FBI ever opens a case on Trump. 3/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
A few days before the “insurance” text, he says: “OMG I CANNOT BELIEVE WE ARE SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT THESE ALLEGATIONS AND THE PERVASIVE CONNECTIONS.” then: “What the hell has happened to our country????” He appears flabbergasted by what he has seen. 4/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
So Page, Strzok & others meet in Dep. Dir Andrew McCabe’s office. (everyone agrees on that). People familiar with their account tell me that Page says HRC is likely to win and they can take their time on what could be a rather complicated investigation of Russian meddling. 5/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
This is a very sensitive counterintelligence probe — most CI probes involve some of the FBI’s and US govt’s most closely held secrets/tactics/strategies/sources/methods — so it would make sense to be methodical, think through things, not risk key assets. 6/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
(side note) Why they are texting about this case — even elliptically — on cellphones is kind of mind boggling, according to former agents and prosecutors. 7/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
Remember? It was just cover for their affair … it was all code that didn’t mean anything except to them.
About 630 a.m. on Aug 15, Strzok wrote: “I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office—that there’s no way he gets elected—but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40…” 8/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
Here, according to the people familiar with his account, he is saying: You are probably right. Hillary is going to win, and we can take our time. But he doesn’t believe they can take that risk. We need to be aggressive, he is saying, no matter who might win… 9/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
In fact, he is saying, we need to pursue this as if Trump might win because then people we are investigating might end up in his administration. Remember: he had just texted her IN ALL CAPS how mind-blowing this all was. 10/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
So the “insurance” policy means in a texty way that sometimes you get insurance in the unlikely event you might die. A small cost (insurance is less expensive the younger you are) is a good investment. This is how he views Trump/Russia/Clinton. 11/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
According to the people familiar with his account, he is literally saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We have to proceed aggressively in the off-chance Trump succeeds so we can have answers by then, if possible. 12/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
Trump allies read this as evidence the FBI was cooking up a conspiracy to prevent Trump from winning. But we've seen no sign of that. Did FBI Director Jim Comey not get the memo? Comey has been savaged by DEMs for wrecking HRC’s chances with the last-minute letter to Congress! pic.twitter.com/8MnuL1WfrJ
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
Can we PLEASE stop pretending that James Comey is a credible source? In any context?
There is no evidence Strzok or Page or anyone else at FBI leaked anything before the election to hurt Trump. In fact, the Obama admin has been criticized for not saying more about Russia before nov 8. https://t.co/uQjO7CqIeh 13/x pic.twitter.com/IcpsfKvTgg
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
The FBI agent and lawyer did themselves no favors with their behavior. Strzok was heading two of the most consequential investigations in FBI history, and he texted like this and had an affair? And about the case (somewhat slyly)? Former agents cannot believe this. 14/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
The text themselves raise so many questions about impartiality that a loyal Bureau man to his core — Mueller — jettisoned Strzok from his team probably within minutes of learning about the texts. 15/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
As Stewart Baker, former general counsel at NSA, wrote on LAWFARE: “The texts say a lot, none of it good, about the FBI’s culture and Bob Mueller’s staffing choices. They say nothing about a grand plot by the Deep State.” https://t.co/EuhkfORMzI 16/x
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
It is what it is. The explanation is probably unsatisfying to many who wish there was a conspiracy and to those who wish there was a more innocuous explanation. No water carrying here. Just the facts. Tips: pop an email to me and I will send you my signal: https://t.co/gJSkgR688V
— Del Quentin Wilber (@DelWilber) December 18, 2017
“Just the facts” … along with a lot of speculation based on the word of people familiar with Strzok’s account.
Ari Fleischer and Brit Hume ain’t buying it.
I think the falsified rumor about Trump firing Mueller has gotten more MSM coverage than an actual text message between FBI agents, involving the Deputy FBI Director, discussing an “insurance policy” in case Trump wins.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) December 18, 2017
Do any MSM journalists want to know what was meant by “insurance policy?” https://t.co/KqdVJ8G1Tf
— Brit Hume (@brithume) December 18, 2017
I’ve never seen a controversy before in which national reporters have been so uncurious and uninterested. It’s as if they *know* the text was ok, so they don’t need to look into it. https://t.co/HJNLBLQeOO
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) December 18, 2017
Wilber seems pretty sure he knows what Strzok meant.
So you see, Strzok was just trying to move the investigation along so that possible Trump administration officials wouldn’t be plagued by the probe if Trump won. Strzok was actually trying to help an administration headed by a man he despised. Got it. https://t.co/BvnKdVYkfh
— Brit Hume (@brithume) December 18, 2017
I don’t doubt that this is actually the explanation being offered on Strzok’s behalf and I commend @DelWilber for at least trying to get answers. I’m just skeptical of the answers he got. https://t.co/QHO3Mc9B1X
— Brit Hume (@brithume) December 18, 2017
Anyone else a little skeptical?
This is what trying too hard looks like. https://t.co/eSrhkXUjsN
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) December 18, 2017
The gentleman* doth protest too much, methinks. https://t.co/8kVj5N7umg
— Benbenfofenbananabanabobenfeefiforfenben BEN (@Bennettruth) December 18, 2017
#ThereAreSomeThingsEvenASpiderCantSpin https://t.co/dovoFzjrF7
— Sen. Frank Niceley (@SenFrankNiceley) December 18, 2017
this tweetstorm reads like it was literally dictated to the reporter by Strzok/Page https://t.co/vtnYU2DoWc
— Joel (@CommodoreBTC) December 18, 2017
-"Not going to carry the water, pinky promise!"
-Almost literally carries the water for Strzok, Mueller, Page and Rosestein. https://t.co/DhN0F7LXlF— Fritz Hansauer (@TalkRaceReality) December 18, 2017
Maybe Strzok would like to comment in person to tie up these lingering doubts?
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So THAT’S what that FBI agent meant when he sent that text about an ‘insurance policy’
