What Happened To Trust In Government?

The cover up of Israel's assault on the USS Liberty 50 years ago represents a serious betrayal of trust by the U.S. government. Americans are weary of duplicitous politicians and deceitful media.

Was the 2024 election stolen?

What caused the World Trade Center Building 7 to collapse on 9/11? It was not struck by an airplane.

Who killed U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy in 1963 and why?

Ultimately, these and many other conspiracy theories are fueled by a growing lack of trust in the U.S. government and the media.

A Pew Research Center poll in 2024 found that only 17% of Americans trust the government to do the right thing, a record low since the question was first asked in 1958. A Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics poll this spring found just 15% of 18 to 29 year olds trust the federal government “all or most of the time.” (Only 33% trust that the 2026 election will be conducted fairly, while 43% do not and 21% are unsure.)

What eroded the trust Americans once had in the government?

One only has to look at the assault on the USS Liberty by America’s “closest ally” in 1967.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to mark the 59th anniversary of the 1967 attack of the USS Liberty, a Navy intelligence gathering ship in international waters in the Mediterranean. Thirty-four sailors lost their lives that day, and 173 were injured, out of a total of 294 crew members.

As shocking as the attack itself was the U.S.’s response to that attack.

Israel had jammed the ship’s communications gear but a Liberty crew member managed to Jerry-rig an antenna and send out a distress signal. Two U.S. naval ships dispatched planes to help. But the planes were recalled and the military sent no help for 17 hours.

According to Massie: “Something happened that never happened before to a ship under attack… the planes were recalled.” He said the USS Liberty “sat there for 17 hours,” while survivors worked to prevent the listing vessel from sinking.

A 1967 naval report quotes the only doctor on the ship as stating the commanding officer, William L. McGonagle, who died in 1999, was “grievously wounded” and suffering from a loss of blood. Still, he remained on deck, in command, throughout the night, giving the men confidence that “we’re going to live.”

Massie called for a new investigation of the attack to bring justice to the survivors, about a dozen of whom sat in the House gallery.

It was the first time a member of Congress openly questioned the official story of the attack on the USS Liberty. Massie called the attack an “intentional murder”that was intended to kill every U.S. sailor onboard. He said it was either a false flag operation to blame Egypt, or an attempt to hide Israel’s activities.

Of course, the national media ignored Massie’s presentation.

The Official Story

The American and Israeli governments concluded the Liberty was attacked during the Six-Day War after being mistaken for an Egyptian supply vessel. That explanation has not held up well.

Over the years, intercepted radio transmissions show Israel recognized that the USS Liberty was an American ship. Also, Israel knew U.S. codes that were necessary to jam the USS Liberty’s communication devices.

Nevertheless, Democratic President Lyndon Baines Johnson successfully smothered any questions about the nature of the attack, possibly so as not to embarrass Israel and alienate potential Jewish donors in his upcoming campaign.

Over the years, survivors attempted to tell what they saw and experienced in 1967. Many claimed it was inconceivable that Israel did not recognize the USS Liberty was an American ship, recalling inspections of the ship that were so close that they waved to pilots flying overhead. But their concerns were dismissed or ignored.

A U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry issued a report in 1967 that determined the USS Liberty suffered “821 separate hits on [its] hull and superstructure.” Jets strafed the ship Napalm was dumped on its decks. Torpedo boats blasted a hole in the Liberty’s hull that measured 39 feet across. Firefighters were killed, while holes were shot into lifeboats, rendering them unusable.

In an appendix, the report cites reasons why it would be unlikely the USS Liberty would be mistaken for an Egyptian supply boat, noting its much larger size, elaborate antenna array, and distinctive hull markings.

Massie called it “maybe one of the biggest honors of his life” to recognize the survivors of the USS Liberty, and those who gave their lives on the ship.

After describing the attack, Massie said: “There was no intent to take prisoners … It was harrowing.”

In addition to a new investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty, Massie asked the House to pass a resolution to honor the survivors of the USS Liberty and those who lost their lives. “It’s long overdue,” he said.

“Quit ignoring that they exist … Support them and, while they are still alive … let’s give them closure,” he said.

Continued Secrecy

One reason Americans don’t know what happened to the USS Liberty is that many documents remain secret after almost 60 years, but efforts are underway to change this.

In 2019, journalist Michelle J. Kinnucan began filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for secret documents, including a 1967 report produced by a House Appropriations Committee subcommittee that examined intelligence and communications issues surrounding the attack.

After the National Security Agency, CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency failed to provide a single document, Kinnucan filed a federal lawsuit. A federal judge ruled the report is a congressional record that is not subject to FOIA.

Why are official records related to the attack still secret after almost 60 years?

Kinnucan appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which held arguments earlier this year. Kinnucan argues the report should be considered an agency record and disclosed under the FOIA.

Of course, the real issue may be that after almost 60 years, politicians still don’t want to offend America’s “closest ally” — Israel — and various administrations are loath to chance campaign support from Israel’s allies in the United States.

Since the report is under congressional control, there is no reason that it could not be released at any time.