Republican senators break ranks to call for investigation of Signal leak scandal
Republican senators break ranks to call for investigation of Signal leak scandal
Republican senators break ranks to call for investigation of Signal leak scandal
Summary
Top Republican senators are calling for an investigation into the Signal leak scandal after senior Trump administration officials accidentally added a journalist to a chat discussing military strikes on Yemen.
National security adviser Mike Waltz took responsibility, but conflicting statements from Waltz and Trump have fueled confusion.
Republicans are urging probes by the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.
Tensions within the GOP are growing, with hawkish Republicans supporting Waltz and Trump loyalists opposing him. Legal challenges have also emerged over potential violations of the Federal Records Act.
I was one of the American military who had access to classified information. I knew better than this. I've worked with enlisted members as young as 19 or 20 years old who knew better than this. When the head of the DoD, the National Security Advisor, Director of the CIA, the Vice President, and the Director of National Intelligence do this, it's not because they don't know better. It's because they're trying to hide their communications in violation of the Presidential Records Act, and they know full well what they're doing is wrong. ETA: And they also compromised a military operation putting the lives of American soldiers at risk, which would land me or any of my enlisted colleagues in Fort Leavenworth for an extended stay, so there's that.
I'd love to know what the American military thinks of all this. I'm sure there's a lot of pro Trump in the military, but you'd think brazen violations of opsec should leave you worried about who's putting your lives at risk...
Not all of us are fascists, and not all joined because we wanted to blow up brown people. I wanted to be an engineer but couldn't afford college when I was 17, and was offered a pretty good salary with benefits out the gate, plus the opportunity to have my degree paid for. Even during the Iraq invasion when i joined, I had no interest in actually doing anything related to warfare.
But a lot of the guys I work with, whether they've always been like that from the start, because they think it's funny, or because they're willfully ignorant, don't think the same way. There's also huge disparities between thoughts in the branches as a whole, as well as intellectual stratification in the branches. For example, it's a lot more likely that you'll find fascist ideals in the Army and Marines than the Air Force and Navy, but you'll still find free thinkers in the more educated parts of the "fighting" branches and idiots in the ones focused on tech. The smart ones are worried, the dumbasses think it's lulz.
I do find it funny (in a sad, sad way), though, that a lot of the people who have been openly supportive of the Fascists' policies in the past now say things like "I don't really pay attention to politics lol" or claim/admit that they don't vote. Now that it's clear that their ineptitude has led us to a place where the country's soft power is nil, the benefits every servicemember enjoys are at risk, and they're probably going to go up against China within the next couple of years, they're suddenly not as vocal about their position. I can't wait to retire and put this all behind me so I can focus on more important things. One more year and I'm done.
All that said, politicians really like to prop the military up as a huge, monolithic entity that always thinks, acts, and votes identically (and conservative to boot), and this simply isn't true. Anyone smart enough to think past "brown people bad/MURICA FUCK YEAH" realizes that the military benefits program is the most successful socialist movement America has ever had.
I have to go to work so I need to cut it off here, but that's the start of my rant. Thank you for attending my TedTalk.
Legal disclaimer: I do not speak for the military, the government, or anyone working in either. There's your disclaimer, Whiskey Pete. I'm compliant with the words on your DODI now.
One story about this for you. MI during the first Trump presidency. There was much said in my office when he tweeted top secret satellite imagery in 2019. My chief went around the shop after this and sat with everybody, and made sure they knew what happened, how this leak got an Intel source burned, how much time/money/effort was wasted from that burned source, how much harder it will be for us to keep the boots-on-ground out there safe, etc.
The tone of the workplace was set after that: "We are here to do our job and keep the guys in the field from getting killed. Our leaders have, and will continue, to make that mission difficult."
prior service here. it's disgusting. it's infuriating that the president fucked off to mar-a-fucko with nuclear secrets. it's revolting that this current junta of incompetents seems to be hellbent on running the country off the cliff.
there's some pro trump people, but the vast majority just want their benefits and a better job than arby's.