The fifth-ranking Home Democrat referred to as for Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth to resign Tuesday for sending delicate army motion plans over an unauthorized group chat that included a outstanding Washington, D.C., journalist.
Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.), the vice chair of the Home Democratic Caucus and an Air Drive veteran, mentioned Hegseth’s messages — which detailed the Pentagon’s plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier this month — had been “reckless” and put the lives of U.S. troops in danger.
“Had that information gotten to the Houthis, American pilots could have been shot down, [and] Navy sailors could have been targeted,” Lieu mentioned throughout a press briefing within the Capitol. “His reckless actions endangered lives of American troops, endangered our national security and makes it so that our allies don’t want to share sensitive classified information with us anymore.”
Lieu’s remarks got here shortly after one other prime congressional Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the rating member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, referred to as for the resignations of two prime Trump officers who participated within the group chat: Hegseth and Mike Waltz, the White Home nationwide safety adviser.
The uproar was sparked Monday when Jeffrey Goldberg, the highest editor of The Atlantic, revealed an explosive story revealing he had been invited to affix a Sign group chat that includes most of the highest rating officers within the Trump administration, together with Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth and Waltz.
On March 15, the dialogue centered on the Pentagon’s plans to launch missile strikes in opposition to the Houthis, an Iran-backed group that’s terrorized cargo vessels within the Crimson Sea. Hegseth, based on Goldberg, laid out the small print of these strikes, together with the timing, sequencing, targets and weapons programs for use. A number of hours later, these strikes commenced as promised, Goldberg mentioned.
Hegseth has denied that narrative, saying “nobody was texting war plans” whereas accusing Goldberg of concocting the allegations.
“You’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again,” Hegseth mentioned Monday.
Hegseth’s denial, nonetheless, has been undermined by the White Home Nationwide Safety Council, which verified the authenticity of the group chat and mentioned it’s wanting into the story.
Lieu was fast to notice the conflicting messages from the administration, accusing Hegseth of mendacity to the general public.
“The White House confirmed that these Signal chats were authentic. Instead of apologizing to the American people, Hegseth lied to the American people,” Lieu mentioned.
Republican leaders within the Capitol, who had launched years-long investigations into the personal e-mail server utilized by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, don’t seem prepared to use the identical commonplace to the Trump administration.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) mentioned the White Home “is addressing” the episode, and no disciplinary actions ought to be taken in opposition to Hegseth or Waltz.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blamed the “leftist media” for specializing in course of as a substitute of Trump’s insurance policies, which he mentioned are common.
“They can’t argue with this new demonstration of American strength that is keeping Americans safe at home and abroad, so now we’re griping about who’s on a text message and who’s not,” Hawley advised Fox Information on Monday. “I mean, come on.”
Nonetheless, a small group of Republicans have criticized the actions of Hegseth and the opposite officers on the chat. Some have identified that Sign, a industrial messaging app, is just not accepted by the federal authorities for sending delicate data.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), one other Air Drive veteran, mentioned it’s a certainty that Russia and China intercepted the chat messages across the time the strikes occurred.
“It’s a security violation, and there’s no doubt that Russia and China saw this stuff within hours of the actual attacks,” Bacon advised CNN on Monday.
Lieu piled on, accusing Hegseth and different Trump officers of neglecting their chief duty: safeguarding the nation they serve.
“It shows how not serious these national security professionals take our national security,” he continued. “Hegseth needs to resign, and everyone on that text chain needs to go take some courses on how to deal with national security classified information.”
