1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth looked directly at a reporter’s camera and said: “Nobody was texting war plans.” Semantics aside, this is a proven lie. Trying to cover backsides by disavowing bombing dets were classified led to the publishing of actual texts of the conversations. We got to see the lies and the lying liars who told them. This security breach is not spinnable. Efforts to do so are making matters worse. And exposing the lack of temperament and ability to manage a disaster of their own making. These heads of security ignored an internal bulletin from the NSA warning staff in February 2025 not to use Signal for sensitive information, citing concerns that the app was vulnerable to Russian hackers. Turns out hacking isn’t necessary when you invite a journalist to join in. And when exposed, they blamed the invited guest for their own incompetence. They made things worse by declaring there was no classified info shared. So The Atlantic published screenshots of the message chats so we could see for ourselves. And they were damning. Those insisting there was nothing classified on the chat were lying. Hegseth uploaded the precise details of the attack before it happened, leaving American military personnel vulnerable. The texts also made clear that administration officials have been using Signal for other conversations. A transparent attempt to keep communications out of the public record by a timed deletion. The messages also reveal that Trump was not part of the discussion of whether to make the airstrikes. How can this be? The decision to make the strikes appears to have been made by deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who ended the discussion simply by invoking the president: “As I heard it,” he wrote, “the president was clear: green light…” “Agree,” Hegseth replied. And the attack was on. Missing from the group chat was the current acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Pentagon's highest-ranking officer would normally be included in planning a military operation, correct? And icing the cake, the German newspaper Der Spiegel revealed that the contact information for a number of the same folks who were on the Signal chat was hacked and is available online. As well as email addresses and some passwords for their private accounts. Those compromised included Waltz, Gabbard, and Hegseth. Wired also reported that Waltz, WH chief of staff Susie Wiles, and Walker Barrett of the NSC who was also on the Signal messaging chain, had left their Venmo accounts public. Who needs foreign hackers? All we need is incompetence at the top. Will you be supporting a full investigation into this recklessness by people charged with protecting America? Will you support firing the perpetrators of this dangerous incompetence? Will you acknowledge your part in making this scandal possible by confirming unqualified candidates to oversee our national security? Will you ever again put the country before politics?