In light of reports that several high-level national security officials — including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — discussed military plans on an unsecured app and unknowingly added a journalist to the chat, KMTV asked former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel for his reaction. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley held his regular call with reporters on Wednesday and he also commented on the incident.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
- Grassley mentioned that, in his experience, he discussed classified information only in secure facilities — often referred to as a SCIF.
- When asked, the Iowa senator said it will be up to the chairs of the armed services and intelligence committees whether there is an investigation into the use of the signal app to discuss military plans.
- Hagel, who also represented Nebraska in the Senate, thinks there should be an investigation by Congress.
- "This is the security of our country,” said Hagel when asked why ordinary people should care. “You get up in the morning as an American citizen confident that your country is secure and the processes that we use and the people in charge are competent."
WEB EXTRA EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH SEC. HAGEL
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
“How did this happen? Was it raw incompetence at the top? Was it recklessness?” said Chuck Hagel on Wednesday afternoon.
I'm Katrina Markel and I'm a neighborhood reporter, so when a national story breaks I try to ask: how does this affect my neighbors?
On Wednesday I talked to Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and former Nebraska Senator and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
I asked about reports that high level, national security officials inadvertently included a journalist on an unsecured group chat.
Katrina Markel: “Should Congress, or do you think Congress, should hold investigations into why and how top-level officials were talking about a military strike using a commercial app?”
Sen. Grassley: “Well, that wouldn’t be under the jurisdiction of the judiciary committee, and I can only make decisions based upon hearing before the judiciary committee...”
Grassley told me it’s up to the armed services or intelligence committees.
Hagel thinks there should be an investigation and those responsible — held accountable.
"As Secretary of Defense, I had to take responsibility for everything that happened in the Department of Defense," he said.
And how sensitive was the information shared on that group chat?
Grassley: “And then, we also had statements from the White House that there was not classified information that got out as a result of that journalist being on that call.”
Hagel: “To me, that’s classified. You’re talking about specific attack times, specific weapons that you are using...”
For ordinary people in Nebraska and Iowa, I asked Hagel: why should we care?
"This is the security of our country,” he said. “You get up in the morning as an American citizen confident that your country is secure and the processes that we use and the people in charge are competent."
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