A Former Democratic Congressman Points Out Perjury by Administration Officials
“A reminder that various administration officials lied under oath in the Senate yesterday,” noted a former Democratic congressman, “which is a crime that can lead to jail time.”
Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asserted on national television that “nobody was texting war plans.” However, on Wednesday morning, The Atlantic magazine contradicted his claim by publishing details of the “war plans” that were actually exchanged via the private messaging app Signal by key figures in President Donald Trump’s national security team, including Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The exposé by The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg revealed how he was unexpectedly added to the Signal group chat by Waltz. This chat also included figures such as Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Vice President JD Vance, among others.
In the magazine’s latest publication, Goldberg discussed how the initial denials from these senior officials since his first report prompted the magazine to face a “dilemma” regarding the sensitive information that had been initially held back due to national security concerns.
“These are strike plans. There must be a broad investigation into how compromised our national security is due to their shocking incompetence.” — Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)
Although The Atlantic initially chose to withhold specific information about weaponry and attack timing found in some texts, this decision faced criticism from journalists like Ken Klippenstein, who argued that the public deserves to know such details. They accused the magazine of succumbing to “media paternalism.” Goldberg defended the magazine’s cautious approach, stating:
We withheld specific information related to weapons and to the timing of attacks that we found in certain texts. As a general rule, we do not publish information about military operations if that information could possibly jeopardize the lives of U.S. personnel. That is why we chose to characterize the nature of the information being shared, not specific details about the attacks.
Nonetheless, following Hegseth’s public denial, a statement by Trump claiming the chat contained no “classified” information, and sworn Senate testimony by Gabbard and Ratcliffe denying the sharing of classified information, Goldberg announced a shift in the magazine’s stance.
“We believe,” Goldberg wrote, “that people should see the texts to form their own opinions. There is a clear public interest in revealing the type of information that Trump advisers discussed on nonsecure communication channels, particularly as these senior administration figures try to minimize the significance of the messages that were shared,” he explained.
Given the assertions by top national security officials, including the President, that the material was not classified — and since the attack plans discussed pertained to an operation already executed against Houthi targets in Yemen — it seemed peculiar for The Atlantic to continue withholding them.
Despite advising several agencies before deciding to publish, the White House still opposed releasing the communication, as per press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She claimed that “there was no classified information transmitted in the group chat,” yet insisted the discussions on the third-party app were meant as “an internal and private deliberation among high-level senior staff where sensitive information was discussed.”
Here are the screenshots of the detailed war plans discussed on the Signal group chat by Trump’s top officials, as reported by The Atlantic:
Goldberg noted, “Had this text been intercepted by someone hostile to American interests—or even someone simply indiscreet with access to social media—the Houthis could have prepared for what was intended to be a surprise attack on their strongholds, potentially leading to catastrophic outcomes for American pilots.”
Additional information:
Following paragraphs:
While the new information from The Atlantic remains behind a paywall, it has already prompted significant reactions.
“Hegseth repeatedly lied to the American public and should be dismissed—along with all others involved in the chat,” stated Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) in light of Goldberg’s new disclosures. “These are strike plans. A comprehensive investigation is necessary to determine how our national security has been jeopardized by their shocking incompetence.”
On Wednesday, Democratic House members—Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs—initiated a congressional investigation to determine whether war plans were discussed in the group chat, urging all involved officials to preserve all relevant documents and communications.
“This incident raises serious concerns about the misuse of unsecured communication platforms for discussions that could be classified and the potential risks to American military and intelligence personnel from such reckless sharing of classified material,” Connolly and Frost expressed in a letter to the involved officials.
Given their Senate testimony, Ratcliffe and Gabbard may face particular scrutiny from committee members and other lawmakers.
“A reminder that various administration officials lied under oath in the Senate yesterday,” reiterated former Democratic congressman Mondaire Jones, “which is a crime punishable by imprisonment.”
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