Rep. Morrison calls on Sec. Pete Hegseth to resign over group chat exposing Yemen strike
'Mindboggling' that war plans were sent in group chat [RAW]
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Warner criticized officials for discussing war plans in an unsecure group chat that included a magazine editor. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was allegedly included in a group chat with top Trump officials who were discussing war plans in Yemen. Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee called the mishap "an unbelievable disaster." The messages were exchanged on the Signal messenger app.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 9) - After top Trump officials mistakenly included a journalist in a group chat discussing plans to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen, U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison says both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz should resign.
War plans leaked in group chat
What we know:
In a report on Monday, The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he was mistakenly added to a group chat on the encrypted chat app Signal discussing Trump admin plans to bomb the Houthis.
Goldberg was included in the messaging thread, including Vice President JD Vance and Sec. Pete Hegseth. Goldberg's report showed Vance discussing his hesitancy to "bail Europe out" but deferring to Hegseth's judgment on the bombing campaign.
About two hours after the exchange began, Goldberg said the United States launched an airstrike against Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15. Since November 2023, the Houthis have been terrorizing commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.
Speaking on Tuesday, President Trump indicated that a staffer for Waltz may have been responsible for mistakenly adding the journalist.
Rep. Morrison calls for Sec. Hegseth to step down
What they're saying:
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Morrison, who was elected this past November to serve Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, called for Hegseth, a Forest Lake native, and Waltz to step down.
The statement reads:
"If one of our service members used an unclassified network to discuss highly sensitive operational information detailing American battle plans involving American troops — and beyond that, inadvertently shared it with someone outside of the United States government who did not have a security clearance — they would be fired and face serious consequences.
"Our national security leaders must be held to at least the same standard, if not higher.
"This level of negligence in handling American military intelligence is completely unacceptable. Defense Secretary Hegseth and National Security Advisor Waltz must immediately resign — or be fired.
"The Republican majority in Congress must also immediately launch oversight investigations into how this happened and how we can ensure this never happens again. If they do not, that is a dereliction of duty and a failure to protect the safety and lives of our troops, our military intelligence, and our national security at home and abroad."
Text leak under review
Trump admin explains group chat leak [RAW]
Senators grilled top Trump cabinet members Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel about the report that officials leaked plans to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen in a group chat that mistakenly included a journalist.
What we don't know:
It's unclear if anything that could be considered classified information was leaked in the chat. Also, it's unclear if the use of Signal was sanctioned for the text exchange.
Government officials have used the encrypted messaging app in the past. During the Biden administration, some officials were given permission to download Signal on their White House phones – but were told to limit use of the app. While the app is more secure than traditional texting apps, it is not approved for classified materials.
The other side:
Trump cabinet members said, during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, that nothing in the group chat was classified. But, they couldn't explain how the journalist was added to the chat and how no one noticed.
Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Sec. Hegseth responded to the report by calling Goldberg a "discredited so-called journalist."
"You’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes," Hegseth said. "This is a guy who peddles in garbage."
Dig deeper:
Hegseth also disputed the characterization that the chat included "war plans." Goldberg's report stated Hegseth posted "operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen" in the thread.
President Trump also pointed out the chat did not compromise the operation, which was conducted without issue.
The leak is currently being reviewed by the National Security Council.