 "'Classified info is classified for a reason': Democrats demand resignation of Hegseth over group chat scandal")
Hours after screenshots of a chat released by The Atlantic revealed that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth texted plans to kill a Houthi militant leader in Yemen two hours before a military operation that would normally be a closely guarded secret, Democrats on Wednesday called for the resignation of the top Trump official.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois criticised Hegseth for allegedly sharing classified materials on an unsecured channel.
“Classified information is classified for a reason. Sec. Hegseth was openly sharing classified materials on an insecure channel that potentially endangered service members. And then he lied about it. He should resign,” Krishnamoorthi posted on X, just moments after questioning intelligence officials at Wednesday’s hearing.
Colorado Representative Jason Crow echoed these sentiments, declaring it “outrageous” that administration officials appeared before Congress without facing accountability.
“The defense secretary must resign immediately. There can be no fixes, there can be no corrections until there is accountability,” Crow asserted.
Other Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee rejected assertions by Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe that no classified material was included in the chat.
They pointed to chat messages released by The Atlantic on Wednesday as evidence the leak could have jeopardised the mission’s success or endangered US service members’ lives.
The disclosure that sensitive attack plans were shared on a commercial messaging app, possibly via personal cellphones, has sparked outrage in Washington and led to calls from Democrats for the dismissal of members of Trump’s national security team.
The Trump administration is working to contain the fallout from a March 15 chat that included The Atlantic editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, on the encrypted messaging app Signal.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHegseth has denied sharing war plans, while Trump and his advisers insist that no classified information was disclosed. This stance has perplexed Democrats and former US officials, who believe that timing and targeting details are among the most sensitive information before a military campaign.
“I think it’s by the grace of God that we are not mourning dead pilots right now,” Reuters quoted Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut as saying during a House Intelligence Committee hearing.
He noted that if Houthi leaders were aware of an impending strike, they could have avoided it by moving to crowded areas, complicating targeting efforts and increasing civilian casualties.
While the chat reportedly did not include specific names or precise locations of Houthi militants, critics argue that the mere sharing of such information raises significant security concerns.
Meanwhile, the White House on Wednesday said that President Trump still has confidence in his top national security officials.
“What I can say definitively is what I just spoke to the president about, and he continues to have confidence in his national security team,” AFP quoted Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as saying at a press briefing.
With inputs from agencies
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