BURSTRep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said Trump intelligence officials lied when they said the information included in a Signal group chat did not include classified information.
“The idea that this information, if it was presented to our committee, would not be classified – y'all know it was a lie. That's ridiculous. I've seen things much less sensitive be presented to us with high classification,” Castro said.
“And to say that it isn't is a lie to the country.”
Castro made the comments to Director of National Intelligence Tusli Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who on Tuesday both told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the Signal chat discussing plans for airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen did not include classified information. The discussions came to light after Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently included.
“There is no way, no way, having sat on this committee for nine years, that somebody would come in with that information and give us something that says unclassified [that] you can walk out of this room with this information and give it to whomever you want.”
Ranking member Jim Himes (D-Conn.) noted earlier Wednesday that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence classification guidelines say advanced war plans should be top secret.
“This is classified information. This is classified information! 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 manual as well as the executive order in operation today with the Trump administration, the text message is clearly classified information,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said.
“[Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth has disclosed military plans as well as classified information. He needs to resign immediately. He needs to resign immediately and a full investigation needs to be undertaken with regard to whether other similar signal chats are occurring in this administration.”
Updated at 11:23 a.m. EDT