When a journalist was accidentally added to a Signal chat that disclosed sensitive war plans, a controversy erupted about our national security. On this week’s On the Media, a look at how right-wing media is processing “Signalgate.” Plus, why Donald Trump is calling himself the crypto president.

[01:00] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Will Sommer, a senior reporter at the Bulwark, about the controversy surrounding “Signalgate,” or when The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief got added to a Signal group chat in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans for bombing Houthi militants. They discuss the response from the Trump administration, and how rightwing media have been covering the scandal.

[17:24] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with Jennifer Berkshire, co-author of The Education Wars, to explore President Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education. Plus, why MAGA-backed school voucher programs have been met with fierce opposition from conservatives in red states.

[33:32] Host Micah Loewinger chats with Jacob Silverman, who covers tech, crypto, politics, and corruption, and co-authored Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, about President Trump’s seismic shift from criticizing crypto to naming himself the “Crypto President” and launching a $TRUMP memecoin.

Further reading:

“Cruel to Your School,” by Jennifer Berkshire
“The Strange Bedfellows Fighting School Vouchers,” by Jennifer Berkshire
“In Red States, Rural Voters Are Leading the Resistance to School Vouchers.” by Jennifer Berkshire
“The President Took A $75 Million Bribe And We All Saw It,” by Jacob Silverman
Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Jacob Silverman

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

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