S9 Ep37: Espresso Martini | Signalgate with Shane Harris, Boeing’s F-47, and Remembering Oleg Gordievsky

The Atlantic’s Shane Harris joins Chris and Matt to unpack Signalgate, the extraordinary national security scandal where top Trump officials coordinated airstrikes over Signal and accidentally included a journalist in the group chat. They discuss the operational fallout, legal implications, and the strain on Five Eyes allies. Then, they dive into the reveal of Boeing’s F-47, the U.S. Air Force’s first sixth-generation fighter and potential final manned combat jet. Finally, Chris remembers legendary KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky and his legacy for British intelligence. Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs. Please share this episode using these links Podfollow: pod.fo/e/2c342b YouTube: youtu.be/SOFfr45cbRw Articles discussed in today’s episode "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans" by Jeffrey Goldberg | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/ "Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal" by Jeffrey Goldberg & Shane Harris | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176/ "A Rare Moment of Bipartisan Disbelief" by Mark Leibovich | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-cabinet-security-leak/682172/ "Signal Chat Leak Angers U.S. Military Pilots" by Helene Cooper & Eric Schmitt | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/us/politics/pilots-signal-leak.html "Waltz and staff used Gmail for government communications, officials say" by John Hudson | The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/04/01/waltz-national-security-council-signal-gmail/ "Hegseth’s younger brother is serving in a key role as liaison and senior adviser inside the Pentagon" by Tara Copp | Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-brother-signal-dhs-hired-68678a8a653c79a4c6ae31a8bee64836 "Hegseth Brought His Wife to Sensitive Meetings With Foreign Military Officials" by Katherine Long, Max Colchester, Daniel Michaels & Lindsay Wise | The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/hegseth-brought-his-wife-to-sensitive-meetings-with-foreign-military-officials-c16db0ea "'Should I Fire Him?’ Inside Trump’s Deliberations Over the Fate of Michael Waltz" by Maggie Haberman & Tyler Page | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/us/politics/trump-signal-michael-waltz.html "Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal group chats for crises across the world" by Dasha Burns | Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/02/waltzs-team-set-up-at-least-20-signal-group-chats-for-crises-across-the-world-00266845 "Signal for Secure Comms: Convenience Over Security Without the Record-Keeping" by Howard Altman | The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/news-features/signal-for-secure-comms-convenience-over-security-without-the-record-keeping "Boeing Wins F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter Contract" by Thomas Newdick & Tyler Rogoway | The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/air/boeing-wins-air-forces-next-generation-air-dominance-fighter-contract "F-47 Was Born Out of Secret X-Planes Built by Both Boeing and Lockheed" by Tyler Rogoway | The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/air/f-47-was-born-out-of-secret-x-planes-built-by-both-boeing-and-lockheed "Oleg Gordievsky, K.G.B. Officer Turned Double Agent, Dies at 86" by Clay Risen | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/world/europe/oleg-gordievsky-dead.html "The Godalming Connection: The Curious Surrey Saga of Fleming, Bond, Putin & the KGB Colonel" by Mark O’Connell: https://markoconnell.co.uk/the-godalming-connection-the-curious-surrey-saga-of-bond-fleming-putin-and-the-kgb-colonel/ More about Shane Harris Read Shane’s work at The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/shane-harris/ Follow Shane on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shaneharris.bsky.social Follow Shane on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/shaneharris Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our Redbubble shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996 Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com Connect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fultonmatt.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD. Music by Andrew R. Bird U.S. Navy photos by PO2 Darren Cordoviz & PO2 Lindsey Kish Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.