Matt Taibbi crucifies mud-slinging John Brennan

Allegations of treasonous conspiracy found one former Obama-era official stunningly taking to corporate media to sling mud at Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

“The balls on you …”

Following the July 18 declassification bombshell that claimed then-President Barack Obama and top-ranking officials had worked to “usurp” President Donald Trump’s first term, public denials had been met with more evidence. While the Justice Department assembled a Strike Force to examine the facts following criminal referrals, former CIA Director John Brennan found a safe haven in MSNBC to turn his ire on Gabbard, teeing up Matt Taibbi to castigate the “goon.”

Responding to a clip of Brennan’s appearance on MSNBC’s “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” the journalist and editor-in-chief of Racket News took to X to call out, “The balls on you, @JohnBrennan, to call anyone else ethically challenged!”

In the Wednesday interview, Brennan said of the DNI, “she may be impaired on the ethics front, certainly. But she’s not impaired on the insolent front. And so, I can only presume that she is doing this intentionally — intentionally mischaracterizing, misrepresenting and lying about what she has done.”

The balls on you, @JohnBrennan, to call anyone else ethically challenged! https://t.co/DDzbzckyxv

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) July 26, 2025

That wasn’t all Taibbi had to say on the matter, as he poked at the political theater taking place, referring to the host’s own background with the Obama State Department before her stint as then-President Joe Biden’s White House press secretary.

“Perfect snapshot of modern ‘news’: a former White House flack masquerading as an anchor, interviewing an ex-CIA chief-turned-paid-MSNBC analyst, masquerading as a guest — with no journalists in the picture,” he posted after directly challenging the former chief spook’s questionable record of integrity.

As Brennan claimed Gabbard was lying, Taibbi asked, “What exactly is she lying about, @JohnBrennan? Did you not base your central claim on crap evidence your own hand-picked analysts wanted to reject? You didn’t lie to congress about using the Steele Dossier in the ICA?”

The journalist went on, “Of all the goons from that administration, Brennan is the most likely to be cut loose/ratted out — roundly disliked even by people in his own party, and also the player with the most obvious exposure.”

Of all the goons from that administration, Brennan is the most likely to be cut loose/ratted out — roundly disliked even by people in his own party, and also the player with the most obvious exposure https://t.co/jUCoR0bHgf

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) July 26, 2025

Taibbi wasn’t the only one suggesting that the former CIA director was likely to be the fall guy regarding the produced intelligence community assessment. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley brought up the 2024 Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity shielding Obama when he indicated Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey wouldn’t be so lucky.

“People talk about, well, you can’t charge Obama. That is very likely the case that he is protected,” the legal scholar said on Fox News Thursday. “But these individuals, whether Comey or Brennan, are not protected from perjury charges if the statute of limitations have not run. They’re more likely to be called again to repeat prior testimony.”

Similarly, Trump had said of Obama while fielding questions from the press, “He has immunity, it probably helps him a lot. He owes me big. Obama owes me big.”

“But it doesn’t help the people around him at all,” added the chief executive.

JUST IN: President Trump on if Barack Hussein Obama can be criminally prosecuted for the Trump-Russia Treasonous Conspiracy hoax

“He has immunity, it probably helps him a lot. He OWES ME BIG. Obama owes me big.”

“But it DOESN’T help the people around him AT ALL.” pic.twitter.com/WE8nRQkoT3

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 25, 2025

Meanwhile, an attempt to pushback at Taibbi for calling out Brennan and MSNBC had the journalist reminding how it was under the Biden administration that he’d suddenly been visited by the IRS at his home the day he appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government to testify about threats to the First Amendment uncovered through his “Twitter Files” reporting.

“‘Threatening television networks’ lol,” he wrote. “I seem to remember the IRS coming to my house and House Democrats threatening me with jail and not a peep of protest from the supposed civil liberties party.”

“Threatening television networks” lol. I seem to remember the IRS coming to my house and House Democrats threatening me with jail and not a peep of protest from the supposed civil liberties party https://t.co/VimAl3Sxsg

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) July 26, 2025

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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