It was purely coincidence that two of the witnesses who witnesses before a rare, public hearing of the Senate committee Tuesday was part of the failed text chain about military action in Yemen.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe were planned for the annual hearing of the committee “Worldwide threats”.
But something else ordered the city’s conversation.
If the text chain had not fallen, there would have been long discussions about domestic terrorism and the threat at the border. How the US struggled with China. There was progress in the Midden -East? What about the war in Ukraine?
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FBI director Kash Patel joined Gabbard and Ratcliffe at the witness table. Patel has just put together a task force to tackle domestic terrorism. Senators Patel may have questioned people who are on fire and put cyber trucks in the neighborhood.
But that wasn’t.
Democrats have taken themselves since the early days of the second Trump government. They have not determined their foot. They attacked each other after senate minority leader Chuck SchumerDN.Y., chose the side of Republicans to prevent a government closure. Other Democrats were confronted with furious voters, furious that the people they chose no longer do to stand up against President Trump and congress republicans.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe resisted a barrage of congress questions in the signal leak that the executive was. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
And then Democrats scored a gift with the Bolloxed text chain.
Or at least it was something that Democrats could exhaust against the other side.
They were topplectic about the group cat.
“It’s the stupidest I have seen,” said Senator Mark KellyD-Aarz.
“I think this is another example of the kind of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior,” Senator Mark Warner, D-VA., The top democrat in the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Democrats accused that intelligence officials were Cavalier with information.
“This carelessness, this incompetence, this lack of respect for our intelligence services and the staff who work for them is completely unacceptable. It is a shame,” said Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “You have to do better. You have to do better.”
Gabbard initially circumvented when Warner interviewed her about the digital misfire.
“Senator, I don’t want to go into the details,” said Gabbard.
That answer confused Warner.
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, CIA director John Ratcliffe and American Air Force Lt. General and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Jeffrey Kruse appear for the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday 26 March. (Reuters/Leah Millis)
“You are not going to be willing to tackle …?” Said Warner. ‘Do you deny that? Do you want to answer my question, ma’am? “
But Gabbard deliberately tackled the controversy about the group cat when she testified for the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. She did this in her opening comments. But after she had tackled cyber security threats From China And volatility in the middle east.
Gabbard said it was a “wrong” to include Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg on the text chain.
“The National Security Advisor has taken full responsibility for this. And the National Security Council carries out an in -depth assessment, together with technical experts who work to determine how this reporter was unintentionally added to this chat,” Gabbard said. “No classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations or war plans that were shared.”
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Gabbard then announced the committee that because of a lawsuit on the text chain it was “limited in my ability to comment on that specific case”.
The CIA and other intelligence services sometimes rely on the encrypted chat app signal for coordination.
“The use of signal report and final procurement applications is permitted and was in this case,” use permitted, “said Ratcliffe during the hearing of the Senate.
Gabbard said that the bunny texts have not revealed top secrets.
“There was no classified material that was shared there,” said Gabbard.
“So if there is no classified material, then share it with the committee. You can’t get it in both sides,” Warner countered.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA., Pushed Gabbard and Ratcliffe on the possible presence of classified material in the leaked messages. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
Senator Jack Reed, Dr.I., who participates in the intelligence committee and the top democrat is of the senate -arming service committee, has submitted a press conference.
“If that is true, the administration must immediately give a copy of the group cat with the congress,” said Reed.
The debate on operational security and defective handling of sensitive information is the entrance to this story. But Frank -Reviews about Europe and American allies by Vice President JD Vance And Minister of Defense Pete Hegseeth was a fascinating group of chat bipproduct.
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Vance text is concerned about the US starting the air strikes – which may be cheaper for Europe than the United States. Vance and other Trump administration officials have criticized Europe for their approaches of safety – often leaning on the United States.
“3 percent of our trade runs through the Suez,” SMS’TE VANCE, with regard to how the Houthis pose a risk for shipping by the Suez channel. “40 percent of European trade do.”
Vance blessed the adaptation on the text chain. But added this injection.
“I just hate to save Europe again,” texted the vice president.
Then Hegseeth jumped in.
“I fully share your disgust of European free tax,” Hegseeth replied. “It’s pathetic.”
Senate majority leader John Thune, RS.D., rejected the idea that fire bribe is used by top officials in the leaked messages, could harm international relations. (Reuters)
“Is that our relationship with them not?” Yours really asked Senate majority leader John Thune, Rs.d.
“I think you should put that in context for what it is,” Thune replied. “This is a new administration. There is a new sheriff in the city. And at some point I think Europeans And all other countries around the world – whether they like it or not – realize that. “
Some Republicans tried to give the national security officers a pass.
“If you’ve never made a mistake, you can throw the first stone,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-FLA.
Atlantic Reporter publishes more texts about attack on Houthi goals
Other Republicans shot the messenger.
“What the Atlantic Ocean did by making something public that they believed could be national security sensitive is irresponsible activity (through) the press,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.
But it earned or not, consider how much time of the legislators of both parties burned on the chat group Snafu versus delve into actual global threats at the hearings. After all, that was the expected subject of the sessions. There are consequences for that.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Complained about the fact that the preoccupation of legislators distracted with the leak from her original “intention to talk about biosecurity and bioterrorism” during the hearing. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“The punishment is that we are less prepared for the dangerous world,” said Senator John Kennedy, R-La. “We are not as long as we should be and have a very serious discussion about national security.”
Member of the House Intelligence Committee and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., Said that it was “intention to talk about biotrorism and bioterrorism” during the hearing. But she couldn’t because of the text chat.
“It distracts from the conversation. And I am frustrated by unchanged mistakes that we are not dealing with,” said Houlahan.
Ratcliffe says that new signal texts demonstrate that he has ‘sent not classified information’
But despite what was played in public, both the House and Senate Intelligence committees have held private sessions with civil servants after the Open Forums.
“We have treated many things in that closed session,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-CT., The top democrat on the intelligence wire. “Everything from Russia to China to Fentanyl. You name it.”
But Himes complained that the committees have exhausted so much time to discuss the text chain.
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The group chat story is to stay here. At least for a while. To another important story his way to the scene and everything rattles on Capitol Hill. At that time, the new subject will be the city’s conversation.
