Texts released by The Atlantic show that Trump Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were BSing, at a minimum, when they testified about the content of the group chat.
The political media world was stunned Monday when Jeffrey Goldberg dropped a blockbuster report that revealed he was (apparently inadvertently) included in a Signal text chain in which the Principals Committee discussed plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen — strikes that shortly came to pass.
Among the Trump administration’s responses has been the claim that the information on the texts was not classified.
That claim was front and center when the Senate Intelligence Committee held a hearing Tuesday, with Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Ratcliffe in the hot seat. But Goldberg’s mostly-unredacted release Wednesday morning contradicts their testimony.
In particular, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) — one of many Democrats who tried to corner the trio on the issue of classified information — took them through Goldberg’s descriptions of the texts:
KELLY: In the Signal chain that we have been talking about, was there any mention of a target in Yemen?
GABBARD: I don’t remember mention of specific targets.
KELLY: Any generic target?
GABBARD: I believe there was discussion around targets in general.
KELLY: Mr. Ratcliffe?
RATCLIFFE: I think that’s consistent with my recollection. Again, I don’t have access to that.
KELLY: Was there any mention, Ms. Gabbard, of a weapon or weapons system?
GABBARD: I don’t recall specific weapons systems being named.
KELLY: I’m not talking about specific. Any weapon or weapon system?
GABBARD: I don’t recall specific names of systems or weapons being used or named within the time.
KELLY: Well, I’m not asking whether — I don’t want you to tell me what the specific weapon was, but any weapon at all. Mr. Ratcliffe, same question.
RATCLIFFE: I don’t recall.
KELLY: How about anything about timing, Ms. Gabbard?
GABBARD: I don’t recall specific timing.
KELLY: Was there any mention?
GABBARD: I won’t get into the detail of the conversation, but obviously there was a significant amount of planning and internal discussions that had occurred prior to and outside of this Signal chat.
KELLY: Mr. Ratcliffe, you’re nodding your head. Any mention of any military unit whatsoever, Mr. Ratcliffe?
RATCLIFFE: Not that I recall.
KELLY: Ms. Gabbard?
GABBARD: Not that I recall.
But the texts — which Gabbard and Ratcliffe had every opportunity to review before and even during the hearing — contradict them:
“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”
“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”
“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”
“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”
“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”
“We are currently clean on OPSEC”—that is, operational security.
“Godspeed to our Warriors.”
Watch above via CNN.
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