Officials who denounced Clinton's handling of classified information now under scrutiny for security breach
Several top Trump administration officials are facing scrutiny for sending detailed operational plans and other likely highly classified information about US military strikes on Yemen to a group chat on a messaging app that inadvertently included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg.
The mistake amounts to an unprecedented breach of security by some of President Donald Trump's most senior national security officials and raises questions about whether they violated the Espionage Act, which makes it illegal to mishandle national defense information.
Normally, discussions of this nature occur in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF), a highly secure area to discuss classified information.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council told CNN the messages appeared to be authentic. When asked about the report, Trump told reporters on Monday in the Roosevelt room, 'I don't know anything about it.'
A CNN KFile review uncovered multiple instances in which officials, believed by Goldberg to have joined the group chat, previously criticized others for how they handled classified information and materials.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host; White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller; national security adviser Mike Waltz; and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have all made public comments in the past attacking officials under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for allegedly being sloppy with sensitive government information. CNN reached out to the officials' agencies for comment.
Much of that criticism has revolved around Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was Secretary of State under President Obama.
Rubio, identified by Goldberg in the chat as 'MAR,' repeatedly attacked Clinton over the issue in 2015 and 2016 – tweeting about it at least a dozen times.
'Nobody is above the law. Not even Hillary Clinton – even though she thinks she is,' he said on Fox News in January 2016.
In an August 2015 Fox News interview, Rubio noted that classified information should only be viewed in a secure room to protect it from unauthorized access or surveillance.
'You most certainly know you shouldn't be talking about it or passing it on in an email, particularly to a private server like the one she had. What they did is reckless – it's complete recklessness and incompetence.'
In a November 2016 Fox News appearance, Hegseth called Clinton's use of the email server, 'criminal.'
'People have gone to jail for 1/100th of what – even 1/1,000th of what Hillary Clinton did.'
In September 2017, Hegseth criticized Clinton's use of the server on Fox News, calling her 'such a corrupt politician,' and her actions 'reckless.'
Waltz, who invited The Atlantic journalist to the group chat, similarly tweeted his outrage that the Department of Justice did not pursue charges against Clinton for her private messages.
'Biden's sitting National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan sent Top Secret messages to Hillary Clinton's private account. And what did DOJ do about it? Not a damn thing,' Waltz tweeted in June 2023.
Earlier that week, Waltz lamented, 'How is it Hillary Clinton can delete 33,000 government emails on a private server yet President Trump gets indicted for having documents he could declassify?'
And in a Fox News interview in May 2024, Waltz said of Biden's mishandling of classified documents, 'All of those things are a crime, he should be charged at least.'
'I have seen those classified documents that were sitting in Biden's garage and his basement – highly classified, highly relevant to what's going on in the world today, with very, very sensitive sources,' he added.
In August 2022, Miller tweeted, 'One point that doesn't get made enough about Hillary's unsecured server illegally used to conduct state business (obviously created to hide the Clintons' corrupt pay-for-play): foreign adversaries could easily hack classified ops & intel in real time from other side of the globe.'
Clinton's email scandal is not the only example. In a late 2012 appearance on Fox News, Hegseth criticized sharing classified information with journalists and filmmakers in a segment regarding how the Obama administration shared intelligence to the filmmakers of 'Zero Dark Thirty,' a 2012 film that depicts the CIA's decadelong hunt for Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Hegseth responded, 'If we're sharing intelligence with filmmakers in addition to it being leaked to the New York Times, and we're releasing movies to affect political elections based on that intelligence, that's an absolute bright line of something we shouldn't be doing.'
Zero Dark Thirty was released in mid-December 2012 – a month after the 2012 presidential election.
Another national security official Goldberg believes was on the chain, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard tweeted on March 14, denouncing leaking information to journalists.
'Any unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such.' The tweet came one day after the group chat began and one day before the US military strikes in Yemen occurred.
Gabbard recently pulled security clearances from current and former Biden administration officials and barred access to classified information briefings. The move, made at Trump's direction, was seen as retaliation for Biden revoking security clearance from Trump amidst his administration's mishandling of classified documents.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
40 minutes ago
- The Hill
US shifts Middle East posture as Trump mulls Iran involvement
The U.S. military is positioning itself to potentially join Israel's assault on Iran, as President Trump weighs direct action against Tehran to deal a permanent blow to its nuclear program. Trump on Tuesday urged residents of Tehran to flee and suggested he was weighing action against Iran, less than 12 hours after he had publicly pressed the country to accept his terms for a nuclear deal. Perhaps the biggest question facing Trump is whether the U.S. will drop bunker buster bombs, known as GBU-57, on Iran's Fordow nuclear site, a move Iran hawks say is necessary to eliminate Tehran's nuclear threat. Israel does not possess such a bomb, believed to be the only armament capable of destroying the highly protected nuclear plant buried deep in an Iranian mountain, nor the U.S. B-2 stealth bomber to drop it from. That has former and current Israeli officials pressing the U.S. to enter the conflict. 'The United States is much stronger than us. It has capabilities that we don't possess,' former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday. 'I am sure that the United States, if it decides to act, will do it for its own interests and not our interests only.' Another former Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, also told CNN that Trump has 'an obligation to make sure that the region is going to a positive way and that the world is free from Iran that possesses [a] nuclear weapon.' Trump — who on Monday cut short his visit to the Group of Seven summit in Canada to return to Washington to huddle with his national security team — has already authorized several military capabilities to the Middle East for defensive purposes. Those include more than 30 refueling tanker aircraft sent to Europe, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group ordered to the Middle East and two destroyers sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to help Israel defend against guided missile strikes. The refueling tankers could be used to help replenish Israeli jets, offering Trump a less intense option for military involvement. A U.S. official told NewsNation that the planes were moved to the European theater to give Trump 'options' should things escalate further and the U.S. decide to become more involved. The extra equipment and personnel add to the large U.S. force posture in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops, air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships. The deployments of air and sea assets, taken together, suggest Washington is preparing for a potential offensive operation as Israel and Iran take part in tit-for-tat attacks, open warfare that Israeli officials have said could last 'weeks, not days' and threatens to spark a wider war in the Middle East. Trump on Tuesday afternoon met with his national security team for more than an hour in the Situation Room, according to the White House. But even amid the military buildup and high-level meetings, Trump as of Tuesday afternoon has not publicly committed himself to any course of action. He continues to urge Iran to make a deal to end its nuclear program 'before it is too late,' but has deflected questions as to what would cause a direct U.S. intervention in the war, telling reporters on Monday: 'I don't want to talk about that.' Still, he has hinted the U.S. could step into the fray. He said Tuesday on Truth Social that, 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' which an administration official told NewsNation indicated both the U.S. and its ally Israel, adding the U.S. has no presence in the skies over Iran. 'Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured 'stuff,'' Trump posted. And Sunday, he said 'it's possible' the U.S. could get involved in the conflict. Israel, now in its fifth day of missile strikes, has already damaged Iranian energy installations, missile sites, nuclear infrastructure, command centers and its state television station, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showing no interest in negotiating after last week launching its largest military operation ever against the regional rival. Israeli attacks, which also killed several of Iran's top military leaders, began after its officials accused Iran of being on the verge of building a nuclear bomb. Since then, the two sides have traded large scale missile attacks in what has become the deadliest confrontation between the countries, with at least 24 people killed in Israel and more than 220 killed in Iran. The U.S. so far has only stepped in to help Israel shoot down incoming missiles via its provided Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense systems. Trump earlier Tuesday also said he was seeking 'a real end' to the conflict, stressing that he's 'not looking for a ceasefire.' But he also warned that Iran knows 'not to touch our troops' and that the U.S. would be 'gloves off' in its response to such a scenario.
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
MTG Slams Fox News As 'Propaganda' Over War Stance
'We've watched propaganda news for decades. I'll call out Fox News and the New York Post. They're known to be the neocon network news,' Greene told former Florida GOP lawmaker Matt Gaetz on his show on One America News Network. 'We have propaganda news on our side, just like the left does, and the American people have been brainwashed into believing that America has to engage in these foreign wars in order for us to survive, and it's absolutely not true,' Greene continued. Greene's comments came a week after Israel launched attacks aimed at a nuclear and military site in Iran, killing some of the country's top generals. In response, Iran launched missiles at Israel. President Donald Trump said he knew Israel's attacks on Iran were coming, even calling them 'excellent.' While Trump said the U.S. is not directly involved in the conflict between the two countries, he did not rule out future involvement. Greene went on to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who blasted U.S. reluctance to get involved in the conflict with Iran. 'Today, it's Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it's New York,' Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC News on Monday, adding, 'Look, I understand 'America first.' I don't understand 'America dead.'' The Georgia Republican told Gaetz that Netanyahu's remark 'sounds like a threat to me,' adding that 'a Middle Eastern war will pull America back 20 years.' 'In order for America to not be dead, it's to stay America First, and this is what the American people want,' Greene said. 'It is not antisemitic to say that we do not want to go to war against Iran or any other country. That is not antisemitic at all.' Greene reiterated that she is 'completely opposed to this war' before criticizing Israel for launching the first strike against Iran. 'Of course, we don't want to see the people in Israel bombed, but they're only being bombed because Israel attacked Iran first, and that's the truth that we need to be talking about,' she said. HuffPost.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trump supporters divided over use of ‘bunker-buster' bomb in Iran
A massive 'bunker buster' bomb — and the ability to deliver it — is at the center of the Republican divide over direct U.S. involvement in striking Iran. Supporters of U.S. involvement point to Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility, warning that the U.S. cannot allow the uranium-enrichment facility to stay intact, absent a deal that would ensure Iran could never develop a nuclear weapon. But Israel, which launched a campaign against Iran on Thursday, is limited in its ability to go after Fordow alone, and the U.S. has the unique capabilities to most effectively target it — capabilities that Israel does not have. The latest and biggest 30,000-pound GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, known as a 'bunker-buster,' would be most capable of reaching the nuclear site, which is believed to sit 80 meters below ground. And while Israel has smaller 'bunker-buster' weapons that it can deploy, only American B-2 Spirit stealth bomber planes have been configured to lift and deliver such a large weapon. To ensure the latest conflict ends with Iran's nuclear capabilities getting wiped out, some Republicans argue, the U.S. needs to step in with the bombers and bunker busters and target the Fordow site if other options are exhausted. 'If President Trump does not believe that negotiations are going to be fruitful, then we either have to fly that B-2 bomber or we've got to give the Israelis the ability to fly the B-2 bomber and drop these bombs,' Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), one of the few Jewish Republicans in Congress, said on CNN on Tuesday. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) said on Fox News Tuesday morning that Trump would 'absolutely' have his support to use the B-2 bomber to take out the Fordow facility if talks failed. Trump and his administration initially distanced the U.S. from Israel's strikes on Iran, saying they provided only defensive support. But now, the possibility of targeting Fordow has moved from being a suggestion to a live question. The New York Times and Axios reported Tuesday that Trump is seriously considering trying to take out the Fordow nuclear site. Some of Trump's most ardent supporters, though, are warning against getting directly involved in the conflict at all. The worst-case scenario to them is a repeat of past U.S. posture in neighboring Iraq, where U.S.-driven regime change spurred by concerns over weapons of mass destruction turned into a failed nation-building exercise that thrust the region into a period of instability, giving rise to terrorist groups like ISIS. Asked about the arguments that the U.S. should use its capabilities to bomb the Fordow site, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — who has been one of the loudest Republican voices advocating against U.S. involvement in Iran — reiterated her position. 'My office has been monitoring calls from constituents in my district and they overwhelmingly support my stance on staying out of this conflict and foreign wars,' Greene said in a statement. 'Getting involved in another conflict won't bring down gas prices, lower grocery bills, or make rent more affordable. Me and my district support President Trump and his MAGA agenda, it's what we voted for in November, and foreign wars weren't a part of it.' Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, a major figure in MAGA world who is close with Trump, was more explicit in his warning. 'America bombing Iran would be a direct escalation. Now, it would not be the same as bombing their oil fields, or even bombing the Supreme Leader. The most basic action would be, drop a bunker-buster on their underground nuclear plant — and some claim that's the only thing we have to do,' Kirk said. 'I'll say this to anyone that will listen: It's very hard to stop a war when you want, and it's hard to stop a war once you're in the midst of a war,' Kirk said, adding: 'If we were to bomb Fordow, Iran would likely and probably consider this to be an act of war. Would they respond and try to target US bases? Would they try and target US troops? Would they activate sleeper cells within the interior of the United States?' Fueling the fears of the MAGA doves, some more hawkish Republicans have broached the subject of regime change — taking out Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — while talking about the prospect of assisting Israel in bombing Iran. 'Be all-in, President Trump, in helping Israel eliminate the nuclear threat. If we need to provide bombs to Israel, provide bombs. If we need to fly planes with Israel, do joint operations,' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Fox News Monday night. 'But here's the bigger question: Wouldn't the world be better off if the Ayatollahs went away, and replaced by something better?' 'It's time to close that chapter soon, and start a new chapter in the Middle East, one of tolerance, hope, and peace,' Graham said. Kirk slammed Graham on his radio show on Tuesday: 'That's pathologically insane, I'm sorry. It is. How do you know it's going to be better?' Trump, for his part, has reiterated his stance that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon — saying the regime should strike a deal, but not taking U.S. military action off the table. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said that 'we know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding' — but that 'we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' He followed up in another post: 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
