Multiple House Democrats accused top intelligence community leaders of lying to the public regarding the information transmitted over the Signal app regarding U.S. military operations.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified Wednesday in front of the House Intelligence Committee for an annual hearing regarding worldwide threats, making them the first and, so far, only officials involved in the chat to take questions from lawmakers publicly about the subject.
The Trump administration has maintained that “war plans” were not shared in the Signal chat, which included a journalist, though the Atlantic posted the entirety of the chat, which showed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz discussing operational details of the mission against the Houthis.
“This is classified information,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) said, reading Hegseth’s text to the intelligence officials. “It’s a weapon system, as well as sequence of strikes, as well as details about the operations. And so I think that, just piggybacking off of what some other members have said, using the DOD’s manual as well as the executive order in operation today with the Trump administration, this text message is clearly classified information. Secretary Hegseth has disclosed military plans as well as classified information.”
Hegseth said in the Signal chat that “we are a GO for mission launch,” and referenced F-18 fighter aircraft, MQ-9 drones, and the Navy firing sea-based Tomahawk missiles as part of the operation.
Several administration officials said Wednesday that “no locations, no sources & methods” and “no war plans” were discussed in the chat. Ratcliffe and Gabbard also said this during the latter part of the hearing, but they were far from the only ones.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), who served with both Ratcliffe and Gabbard during their times in the House of Representatives, added, “The idea that this information, if it was presented to our committee, would not be classified, y’all know is a lie. That’s ridiculous.”
The two intelligence leaders also appeared Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Between the two hearings, the Atlantic published the entirety of the text chain, giving House members additional information for Wednesday’s hearing, including whether Gabbard and Ratcliffe’s testimony on Tuesday was consistent with newly revealed details about the chat.
“Yesterday, Sen. Heinrich asked, ‘Did this conversation,’ referring to the Signal chat, ‘include information on weapons, packages, targets, or timing?’” Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrat on the committee, said in his remarks. “Director [Ratcliffe], you said, ‘Not that I’m aware of,’ Director Gabbard, you said, ‘Same answer.’ It’s your testimony that less than two weeks ago, you were on a Signal chat that had all of this information about F-18s and MQ-9 reapers and targets on strike, and you, in that two-week period, simply forgot that that was there.”
PETE HEGSETH PERFORMS ‘RHETORICAL GYMNASTICS’ OVER WHAT WAS SHARED IN SIGNAL GROUP CHAT
“I believe there was discussion of targets in general,” the former Hawaii congresswoman acknowledged during Tuesday’s hearing, and she said in response to Himes on Wednesday, “My answer yesterday was based on my recollection, or the lack thereof, on the details that were posted there. I was not and what was shared today reflects the fact that I was not directly involved with that part of the signal chat.”
Later in Wednesday’s hearing, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) said Hegseth “should be walking his resignation in.”
