Trump WH Erupts in Panic over Situation Room Leaks

17 Jun 2026 · 21 min · 10 chapters

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In short

The episode argues that New York Times reporting on “Situation Room” leaks (including Epstein-related and Iran-war discussions) implies the Trump administration has recordings/transcripts, and that insiders like Kash Patel and Dan Bongino may have been involved. It also claims the administration is “leakiest,” and may try to sue/indict reporters to find sources.

Guests

No clear named guests appear in the transcript; it’s presented as Michael Popok (Legal AF) speaking, with references to other media figures (Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, etc.).

Key claims

The NYT footnote says direct quotes came from “notes, recordings, or transcripts,” suggesting a recording device. The episode speculates Bongino and/or Patel phoned in and recorded or used AI notes. It claims Susie Wiles leaked before and may have corroborated.

Notable examples

Susie Wiles and Bongino dispute; Bongino allegedly tells Wiles “you fucked this thing up”; alleged “nipple-related documents” discussion; Ghislaine Maxwell pardon/immunity strategy quotes; “Iran Contra” analogy.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Situation Room Leaks Overview

2:00 to 2:59

Discussion of surreptitiously recorded conversations in Trump's administration.

“Seriously, why aren't Democrats in Washington doing more to stop Trump?”

Investigating the Leaks

2:59 to 4:20

Examining the implications of leaked recordings and the individuals involved.

“And now the White House is freaking out that Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan actually have recordings from that room.”

The Leak Theories

4:20 to 6:32

Exploring theories on how recordings from the Situation Room were obtained.

“In fact, if you go and you're here on Legal AF, you're here on Midas Touch, go right now to Legal AF YouTube channel, hit that free subscribe button.”

Bongino's Role and Reactions

6:32 to 12:49

Analyzing Dan Bongino's involvement and reactions to leaks and accusations.

“This is my working theory, and I think it's a good one.”

Bongino's Role and Reactions

12:54 to 13:11

Analyzing Dan Bongino's involvement and reactions to leaks and accusations.

“Use the code legal AF for an additional 15 % off your order.”

Bongino's Conflicts and Consequences

13:11 to 14:00

Discussing Bongino's conflicts with Trump administration members and fallout.

“Then you have the back and forth again between Bongino and Susie Wiles, the chief of staff.”

Bongino's Departure and Susie Wiles' Role

14:00 to 14:25

Discussion about Bongino's exit and Susie Wiles' controversial statements.

“I warned you guys about this the whole time and you ignored me.”

Revelations from the Situation Room

14:25 to 15:05

Exploration of leaked quotes and discussions from the Situation Room.

“Remember, Susie Wiles also was a big head scratcher.”

Ghislaine Maxwell and Communication Strategies

15:05 to 17:51

Insights into discussions regarding Ghislaine Maxwell and strategic communications.

“So looking at you, Susie Wiles, did you corroborate some of this information?”

Courage in Journalism and Legal AF's Role

17:51 to 19:12

Emphasis on the bravery of journalists and the mission of Legal AF.

“detail and in the fbi in a lie detector test to see who was leaking about his public drinking and about his girlfriend and went after reporters reporting about him using the awesome power of the FBI.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Seriously, why aren't Democrats in Washington doing more to stop Trump? I know. Have you heard about Phil Weiser in Colorado, though? No. Is he different? Yeah. A.G. Weiser sued the Trump administration 65 times. He's beating Trump in court again and again. Things like protecting Obamacare against Trump's illegal tariffs. And he even won against Ticketmaster. So he actually gets results. Exactly. As governor, Phil will fight for Colorado. Paid for by Phil Weiser for Colorado Registered Agent Nanna Nuskazi. This summer, FanDuel is the best place to bet on goals. including equalizers uh-huh balls yep headers every goal is worth more on fan so let there be goals new customers get 350 in bonus bets guaranteed when you bet five dollars for seven days 21 plus and present and select states first online real money wager only minimum five dollar wager required for seven consecutive days five dollar first deposit required bonus issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets which expires seven days after receipt restrictions apply see full terms at fanduel.com sportsbook gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much.

1:05Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just$15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three-month plan, equivalent to$15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. Spotify, it's Jay Shetty. Are you one of those media strategy people? Scrolling through spreadsheets, searching for an audience that pays twice as much attention to your ads than they do on social?

1:41Let me introduce you to fans. And they're here with me on Spotify. Trust me, I know fans. They don't skip, they stay for hours. They don't move on, they manifest. They're not a demographic group, they're fans. Spotify Advertising. You're among fans. Seriously, why aren't Democrats in Washington doing more to stop Trump? I know. Have you heard about Phil Weiser in Colorado, though? No. Is he different? Yeah. A.G. Weiser sued the Trump administration 65 times. He's beating Trump in court again and again. Things like protecting Obamacare against Trump's illegal tariffs. And he even won against Ticketmaster.

2:21So he actually gets results. Exactly. As governor, Phil will fight for Colorado. Paid for by Phil Weiser for Colorado Registered Agent Nandan Moscheezy. Were there surreptitiously recorded conversations among the top levels of Donald Trump's administration and cabinet, including in the Situation Room about not only the Epstein files, but the Iranian war? I think the answer to that is found right in the footnote that was prepared by New York Times intrepid reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan for their new book, Regime Change, because they just published in the last couple of days, Freak Out in the White House.

2:59And now the White House is freaking out that Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan actually have recordings from that room. Why would it shock you that this administration that kicked it off at the very top of their administration by including by accident an editor in chief of the Atlantic magazine into a secret signal chat about war plans against Yemen and other places? Because why would you, Jonathan Goldstein, why would you be shocked that there is somebody who's recording who isn't? And I think there is evidence, an Easter egg, if you will, within the reporting of Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan that kind of leads me down a couple of paths.

3:39I'm looking at you, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino. And the fact that this, you know, I've said about this administration, it's the leakiest administration. And so one of the things we got going for us is how many people are willing to cooperate with the media and work on exposés and be whistleblowers. You know, that's a good thing. But when I first read that Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan article and their footnote disclaimer or not disclaimer, their reference point, I said they got a tape. They got a recording. There's a mole in the White House. There is a listening device or a recording that was used.

4:19somebody hit record because they have direct quotes. It's not paraphrases. In fact, if you go and you're here on Legal AF, you're here on Midas Touch, go right now to Legal AF YouTube channel, hit that free subscribe button. If you go right inside of the document itself, the reporting in the New York Times article from their new book that's about to come out, Regime Change, they tell you what you need to know. Here's what the authors say about how they got the direct quotes. And I that they're so precise. They're in quotations. They're not paraphrases. They are direct. And here's why. It says, many of our, this is from within the article itself, that they conducted more than 1 ,000 interviews with a wide range of people close to President Trump, including campaign officials, meaning now, not former, White House staff members, current, departments and agencies, former aides, donors and lawmakers, friends and business associates.

5:17But look at how many people are still in the inner circle and in the orbit of Donald Trump and still being employed that cooperated. Many of our interviews were conducted on the journalistic ground rule of deep background, agreed to in advance, which meant we could use the information but not identify who gave it to us. Throughout the reporting process, we made extensive efforts to contact the individuals named and give ample time or opportunity to offer their perspective. When we use direct quotes. And I'm going to go through a dozen of them with you. Those quotes came either from the person speaking, from someone who heard that person directly, or from, wait for it, contemporaneous notes, recordings, or transcripts.

6:01See, that's the only way you can do it. I've been doing my job for a long time, 35 years as a practicing lawyer. I can take copious notes. I know people that take shorthand. AI is now being used to take notes, as we all know. You can also have a listening device or a recording piece of equipment. You're supposed to let the other people know under law that you're recording them. Now, I think buried within the article, she tells us effectively who recorded. This is my working theory, and I think it's a good one. Here's the working theory, because when she outlines, Jonathan Swan and Haberman outline who was in the room.

6:43Listen to how she reports it from the article, okay, about who was arrayed around the table. It says, J.D. Vance took a seat at the head of the table. Arrayed around him were the White House Chief of Staff, this is in the Situation Room, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Counsel David Warrington, Press Press Secretary Levitt, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, Communications Director Stephen Chung, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Associate Attorney General Stan Woodward, and the Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair. Period. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Cash Patel joined on speakerphone.

7:28What idiots allow the sanctity, the inviolate nature of the Situation Room to be violated by having two people phoned in? And now you've got people phoning it in, which means there's nobody from counterintelligence keeping an eye on them. There's nobody knowing who's in the room with them. And Kash Patel's been on thin ice almost from the start of this administration. and Dan Bongino hated Pam Bondi and hated what was happening with the Epstein files. You don't think Kash Patel had Dan Bongino who's frequently directly quoted in the article. You don't think he's got Dan Bongino and Dan Bongino is not either taking direct notes using an AI agent to do it or is hitting the record button.

8:19Does anyone, I'll take a moment in this comment. Does anyone put it past Kash Patel and or Bongino to have recorded? And of that group, Bondi, Patel and Bongino, two of them are now former members of the administration and cabinet in Bondi and Bongino. And Bongino has been livid and has been thrilled to return to being a podcaster. So you have the Easter egg inside of the article telling you that two people were not in the room. For me, it's glowing radioactive red. And of course, her note about the recording. You put two and two together and now you've got the new freak out that came out on Monday.

9:06that now the Trump administration believes there are recordings about the situation room and conversations about Iran as well, including Marco Rubio's quote, that attacking Israel and saying they effed it up and they don't effing have a plan. Those leaks, they believe, are on the same loop, if you will, of digital recording. Let me go back to the article, and then let's see if you agree with my working theory that Dan Bongino is cooperating with Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan and or took AI notes or a recording. Listen to these quotes about Bongino, right? Involving Bongino, I should say. Okay, here we go.

10:00The day the memo was released, the two-page memo from the FBI and the Department of Justice saying there is no client list and Epstein wasn't murdered, Bongino showed up to a daily Justice Department meeting with the FBI staff and the Attorney General. So it's Bondi, FBI staff, and Bongino. Quote to Bondi from Bongino, you fucked this thing up from the start. The way you've been talking about this, that dumb effing charade with the Epstein files, the they're on my desk nonsense, all the promises to the folks out there. He went on to a colleague and said to a confidant, this is quotes now, again, quotes, Blondie, using a term of derision that Laura Loomer coined, effed this whole thing up.

10:55She was the one on TV saying over and over they had all this stuff. There was never anything. We were always clear about that. But now everyone thinks we did something wrong and I gave up everything, meaning his podcast. And now it's all disappeared because people think we screwed something up with Epstein. This is going to be President Trump's Iran Contra, referring to one scandal that brought down the Reagan administration involving arming the Contra in Nicaragua through a funding mechanism involving Iran, of all things. If you want to look it up, look up Oliver North. Look, magnesium, it's something most of us lack.

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12:59That's Q-U-A-L-I-A life.com slash legal AF, and then use code legal AF. Thanks to Qualia for sponsoring this episode. Okay. That's a direct quote. And that's not the only direct. When I saw these direct quotes from my experience as legal commentator and a lawyer, I was like, she's got a tape, a transcript, digital recording, or amazing notes that were taken by somebody in the room, multiple people. Then you have the back and forth again between Bongino and Susie Wiles, the chief of staff. when he was accused of being a leaker. I'll tell you what, I'll give you 100 ,000 cash right now. Not kidding.

13:49Walk out to the West Wing, put that reporter on speaker and get him to admit I leaked it,$100 ,000. Wallace snapped back, quote, well, we all got ourselves into this. Bongino cut her off. No, no, no, no. We didn't get ourselves into anything. I warned you guys about this the whole time and you ignored me. and now you're pretending I was in on this. I was never in on this, okay? Wiles put Bongino on the spot. Going forward, she said, quote, we're all in. We're all going to agree to move forward. Are you in or not? No, I'm not. That's not my plan. Forget it. I'm out of here. He stormed out. Remember, Susie Wiles also was a big head scratcher.

14:32About six months ago, she gave a multiple-day interview with Vanity Fair and started throwing people under the bus in a very un-Susie Wiles-like way, including Pam Bondi and others, including Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance. So, you know, this is, as one of our colleagues and collaborators on Legal AF, Sky Perryman likes to say, you put all the liars in the room. Susie Wiles has cooperated with the press and has, if you will, leaked information of derision about and critique about people in the cabinet before. So looking at you, Susie Wiles, did you corroborate some of this information? Then you've got the quotes about the vice president and allegations that Donald Trump attacked a woman sexually, including her breasts.

15:31and that information was about to come out. This is a quote. I think we should put it out. These nipple-related documents, as the reporters refer to it. It would cause people to say we're going further than we need to. Wiles quickly responded about that particular issue. That's a direct quote. More direct quotes, which also indicated to me, of course, that there was a recording. James Blair in the room, in the situation room, about Ghislaine Maxwell. We can't offer Maxwell anything. A, I don't know why we would. This is about giving her a pardon or immunity. And B, if we give Ghislaine Maxwell any sort of break and then she turns around and says nice things about us or says nice things about us and we give her a break, it will undermine the entire point of her saying good things.

16:20That will feed the conspiracy theory. We shouldn't have to offer anything. A long quotation. Then we have Stephen Chung, the head of communications, pardoning Maxwell, a trafficker of young girls will create a huge PR problem. Not a paraphrase, a direct quote. J.D. Vance about Ghislaine Maxwell. What if we got her to talk to Congress? James Blair about holding a press conference to continue the cover-up. Blair, quote, with all due respect, the communication strategy of this group got us here. I don't know that it's going to get us out. If you're going to go in front of the press, you got a lot of work to do.

17:04Quote, quote, quote, quote, quote. OK, so you got these working hypotheses here. Susie Wiles, who's leaked things before at a far raging interview at Vanity Fair. Dan Bongino, who's no longer in the government, may have been in on the phone call, phoned in by Kash Patel. Kash Patel, who's always trying to create a CYA file to keep his job. So is it come as any surprise now that the Trump administration now thinks that there was recordings even about the Iran planning? they had the they added the the editor of of um atlantic magazine to a signal chat at the top of the administration and now of course cash patel who once famously put members of his own security detail and in the fbi in a lie detector test to see who was leaking about his public drinking and about his girlfriend and went after reporters reporting about him using the awesome power of the FBI.

18:11Does anybody think it's not possible that Dan Bongino was sitting with Kash Patel and or both of them or one of them used an AI agent to take notes and or hit the record button? You know, fortunately for the American people, for whatever their reasons, there are people that are still willing to cooperate with the press against great personal sacrifice. It's courageous on the reporter's side. You got a Trump administration that sues, right, and or indicts to get information about leaks. Don't put it past this administration indicting and or suing Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan to try to get their source material of their thousands of interviews to try to find the leak under some sort of claim of espionage.

19:03Don't be shocked when I do that reporting for Legal AF and Midas Touch. That's why we have to stand together on independent journalism. We're doing it here. Thanks for being here. Hit the free subscribe button. Until my next video, I'm Michael Popok.

19:31including a daily roundup that I do called, wait for it, Morning AF. What else? All the other contributors from Legal AF are there as well. We got some new reporting. We got interviews. We got ad-free versions of the podcast and hot takes where Legal AF on Substack. Come over now to free subscribe.

From the publisher

The Trump White House is in a frenzy as they try to track down the Administration Official or Officials who may have secretly recorded Situation Room meetings about the Epstein Cover Up AND the Iranian War plans, and leaked them to the NYT. Popok points out the “Easter Eggs” in the New York Times article that suggest who may be responsible for the leaks and that the reporters have actual “recordings” and discusses what Trump’s next moves against the reporters may be.

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