Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), along with fellow House Democratic military veterans, called for an investigation into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and all of Trump’s national security officials who texted classified information on military operations in a Signal group chat with the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. Sherrill, a former Navy Helicopter Aircraft Commander and Russian policy officer, slammed the leaders for putting American service members in danger and debunked Trump and Hegseth’s claims that the information was not classified.
Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks.
Full remarks, as delivered:
Hi, I’m Mikie Sherrill, I’m a former Navy helicopter pilot and a former Russian policy officer.
And I have to tell you, I remember as only a teenager when I entered into the Navy getting my first security brief and understanding how important security is to our military.
As we’ve all heard for years, loose lips sink ships. And now we have at the top echelons of our government, people who don’t seem to understand the need for any national security. We even, as you heard, had a report that someone was in Moscow. Having traveled myself to Moscow, I know the type of operational security that is expected there of military members. I know the briefings that I received. And to think that now we have a government that has so little concern for our security is really, I think, infuriating.
And to see all of these members here who have served, who know that their lives have been on the line and know that what the minimum that they should be able to count on is that their own government is not going to sell them out to foreign adversaries, that their own government is going to take their security seriously.
Yes, to think that anybody is saying now that this was not secure information or this was not secret information or classified information, and anybody. Anybody, who knows anything about this area, and there are people on that Signal chain that know better, know that this is classified information.
You don’t give targeting information, you don’t give time, and you put people in danger. People’s lives. American lives were in danger because of that Signal chain. The thought that you would be in Moscow and that nobody would be monitoring your text chains or that nobody would have access to that is really ludicrous in this day and age. I don’t think anybody buys that either.
So to think now that this is going to go uninvestigated or that Armed Services is not going to hold a hearing on this in the House, is really, I think, completely disregarding what just happened, the danger of the situation and the sense that I think we all have. That if this has been reported on, we need to know what else is going on, because somebody’s got to clean house at the White House, and it’s obviously not going to be the President who is now up to his old tricks.
“Oh I’m declassifying it”. Well, too late, buddy. This was classified information. This put lives in danger. An investigation needs to take place. That is what we are calling for. And I think the House Armed Services Committee needs to hold hearings on this and get to the bottom of it so no more service members are put in danger.
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New Jersey State Senator Teresa Ruiz has called for an investigation into a text chain involving top national security officials, including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and former Deputy National Security Advisor K.T. McFarland. The text chain, which was recently released as part of a court filing in the case against Flynn, has raised concerns about potential collusion and misconduct within the highest levels of government.
The text chain, which took place in December 2016, shows Flynn and McFarland discussing the Obama administration’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 presidential election. In the texts, Flynn assures McFarland that they will “rip them apart” once they are in power, referring to the sanctions imposed by the outgoing administration.
Senator Ruiz has called for a thorough investigation into the contents of the text chain, as well as any potential implications for national security. She has expressed concerns about the possibility of collusion between top national security officials and foreign governments, as well as the potential for misconduct and abuse of power within the Trump administration.
The release of the text chain comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over the Trump administration’s ties to Russia and its handling of national security issues. The investigation into Flynn’s contacts with Russian officials during the transition period has already led to his resignation as National Security Advisor and guilty plea for lying to the FBI.
Senator Ruiz has emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in government, particularly when it comes to matters of national security. She has called on Congress to take immediate action to investigate the contents of the text chain and determine whether any laws were broken or ethical standards violated.
As the investigation unfolds, it is likely that more details will emerge about the extent of collusion and misconduct within the Trump administration. The American people deserve to know the truth about what happened during the transition period and whether their national security was compromised by top officials. Senator Ruiz’s call for an investigation is a step in the right direction towards ensuring accountability and upholding the integrity of our government.
