Trump wants to move on from the Signal security scandal. House Republicans aren't making it easy

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Sunday 30 March 2025 23:01 BST



Republican national security hawks in the House are not making the White House’s efforts to move on from the “Signalgate” scandal any easier. As Donald Trump’s team trades blame and battles its critics, members of the House Republican caucus are facing their voters after The Atlantic published proof this past week that editor Jeffrey Goldberg had been mistakenly included in a group chat of Trump administration principals discussing plans for an imminent US strike on Houthi forces. The entire chat played out over Signal, an encrypted (but public) messaging app.

Some members are making it clear that they are not toeing the White House line on the narrative, and disagree with the assertion from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and others claiming that information sent by Hegseth to others in the chat during the deliberations was not or did not need to be classified.

Hegseth’s messages to observers in the chat from the White House, including Vice President JD Vance, included precise attack timings, information about a confidential CIA source, and details about weapons packages used in the attack. That list includes Mike Turner, former chair of the House Intelligence Committee and one of a limited number of members who had access regularly to classified information and briefings.

Turner, on Sunday, told ABC’s This Week: “Clearly the subject matter that’s being discussed, the status of ongoing military operations, should be … considered classified information.” “And it’s surprising to find it in an unclassified manner,” he added. “To find it in this way is surprising.”

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/national-security-republicans-signal-classified-b2724197.html

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. "Trump doesn't hear The Signal. Do you?" . . . . . nt

[Buddyzbuddy]

2. C'mon people, that's sooo last weeks news.

Let's move on.
Just as soon as you do your job of defending this Country and fire hangover Hegseth.

[Owens]

3. The same party that still says "But her emails!!". Oh that's rich and hypocritical!

And Biden's laptop! 2020 election !

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. MaddowBlog-As allegations against Hegseth mount, the Pentagon chief faces a new kind of problem

As Pete Hegseth flails, there are apparently Pentagon insiders eager to talk about the defense secretary’s struggles.
https://bsky.app/profile/stevebenen.com/post/3llopdxucnk2a

Hegseth's big problem: There's fresh evidence of his incompetence, failures, and abuses.

Hegseth's other problem: There appear to be Pentagon insiders who are willing to talk to reporters about his incompetence, failures, and abuses

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/allegations-hegseth-mount-pentagon-chief-faces-new-kind-problem-rcna198856

The Associated Press reported on Friday, for example, that Hegseth tapped his younger brother, Phil Hegseth, to serve as senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Defense Department — a title that has meant, among other things, a trip to Guantanamo Bay and traveling on the Pentagon’s 747 aircraft as the Cabinet secretary makes his first trip to the Indo-Pacific. The AP’s report added:

It’s common for the Defense Department and other federal agencies to have liaisons. Each military branch sends liaisons to Capitol Hill. The Pentagon, State Department and others all use interagency liaisons to more closely coordinate and keep tabs on policy. But it is not common for those senior-level positions to be filled by family members of the Cabinet heads....

Despite Hegseth’s apparent preoccupation with merit-based employment decisions, his younger brother received a position of influence at the Pentagon despite a background as the founder of a podcast production company.

Around the same time, The Wall Street Journal published another report about the defense secretary that raised eyebrows:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing scrutiny over his handling of details of a military strike, brought his wife, a former Fox News producer, to two meetings with foreign military counterparts where sensitive information was discussed, according to multiple people who were present or had knowledge of the discussions.

The Journal’s report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that a Defense secretary “can invite anyone to meetings with visiting counterparts, but attendee lists are usually carefully limited to those who need to be there and attendees are typically expected to possess security clearances given the delicate nature of the discussions.”....

The reporting from the AP and the Journal dovetailed with a Politico report that said while Donald Trump has expressed public support for Hegseth, “behind the scenes, administration insiders are starting to express doubts about the Pentagon chief’s judgment.” CNN had a related piece that said, “Interviews with multiple current and former national security officials this week, including career military and civilian officials, reflect growing concerns about Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon.”

Taken individually, the revelations about his brother’s job and his wife’s access are certainly important in their own right. But let’s not overlook the story behind the stories: It appears increasingly obvious that there are some people at the Pentagon who’ve learned some unfortunate things about Hegseth, and they’re suddenly eager to share that information with journalists.

Or put another way, two months into Hegseth’s tenure, he’s generating the kind of chatter that his respected and qualified predecessor didn’t have to worry about at the department he ostensibly leads.

It’s a problem for the Pentagon chief that there’s evidence of his incompetence, abuses and failures, but it’s just as notable a problem that there are DOD insiders who are apparently willing to talk to reporters about his incompetence, abuses and failures.

[HoldenTheDemocrat]

5. Signalgate: Trump's Reckless Incompetence Threatens National Security

This "Signalgate" scandal is an absolute disgrace and a glaring example of Trump's reckless disregard for national security. We're talking about precise attack timings, a confidential CIA source, and details about weapons packages being shared on an unsecured, public messaging app! This isn't just a slip-up; it's a monumental security breach that puts our troops and our country at risk.

And let's be clear, the GOP's attempts to downplay this are pathetic. They're trying to spin this as a non-issue, but even senior Republicans like Mike Turner, who actually understands classified information, are calling it out! This isn't some partisan witch hunt; it's a matter of basic competence and national security.

Pete Hegseth, Karoline Leavitt, and the rest of Trump's team claiming this information "didn't need to be classified" are either completely ignorant or deliberately lying. Either way, they're unfit to hold any position of power.

This isn't just about embarrassing Trump; it's about holding him accountable for his dangerous incompetence. We need a full investigation into this breach and we need to demand that those responsible are held accountable. This isn't just a scandal; it's a threat to our national security, and we can't let them sweep it under the rug.

This is exactly why we need Democrats in control. We understand the gravity of national security and the importance of protecting classified information. Trump and his cronies have proven time and time again that they can't be trusted with our safety. Let's make sure they pay the price for their recklessness.