Latest news with #U.S.SenateSelectCommitteeonIntelligence
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Angus King, Susan Collins press Trump nominee over his involvement in Signal chat controversy
Apr. 9—Maine's U.S. senators pressed President Donald Trump's nominee to be the director of the National Counterterrorism Center on Wednesday about his involvement in an unsecured group chat with other administration officials that included details of an impending counterterrorism strike last month. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, who both serve on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, questioned nominee Joseph Kent about using a commercially available messaging app to discuss the attack plans. A journalist with the Atlantic was accidentally invited into the chat, and his descriptions of the conversation — published after the attack took place — have prompted calls for investigations and resignations of some top defense and intelligence officials. That chat took place on the app Signal and included Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The discussion included specific details of the planned attack, including the target, timing and weapons to be used. Kent, who is Gabbard's chief of staff and was included in the chat, largely repeated the administration's assertion that the information was not classified. He cited ongoing litigation as a reason he could not discuss it further. Both Collins, a Republican, and King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, questioned the appropriateness of discussing highly sensitive information that could compromise the safety of American troops on a commercial phone app, whether it was officially deemed classified or not. But Kent, a former Green Beret and CIA officer, defended his use of the app. "Signal was installed on my government phone when I received it, senator," Kent said to Collins. "Signal has pretty adequate two-way encryption so Signal is routinely used and approved by the chain of command." Collins urged Kent to reevaluate that position. "Well, I hope this is something that, should you be confirmed, you will take a hard look at," she said. "I, too, have the Signal application on my phone, but I don't use it to discuss highly sensitive information, and I think we need perhaps guidelines that are clearer to members of the intelligence community and the Department of Defense to make sure we don't have a repeat of this." King was more forceful, accusing Kent of playing word games and getting into a heated discussion about the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. "Telling an adversary when an attack is going to happen, you're saying that's not classified?" King said incredulously. "You're just giving it a bit of semantics, but any person in this room would tell us that attack plans involving timing and weapons would be of immense value. If it had been the Houthis, instead of (Atlantic editor) Jeff Goldberg, we would have lost pilots in that strike, would we not?" "There was no classified information, and it's under litigation, senator, so I can't say much more about the Signal chat," replied Kent, who also refused to tell senators whether he was using a personal cellphone or a government-issued phone, or whether that device had been scanned for malware. That exchange with King came after a heated discussion about Afghanistan and Russia. While Kent pinned blame on former President Joe Biden for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, King noted that the Biden administration was executing a deal negotiated by Trump during his first presidency — a deal he said that did not include the input of the Afghanistan government. The chaotic August 2021 withdrawal led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members, the wounding of 45 more and the deaths of more than 170 Afghan civilians. Kent pushed back, saying Trump had tried to withdraw sooner but "we had members of the intelligence community, unfortunately, we had members of the media, who spread an extension of the Russia hoax, who said Putin was putting bounties on the heads of American soldiers, and that stopped Congress from allocating money." "Russia hoax?" King queried. "Yes, the Russia hoax," Kent replied. "The Russia hoax has been widely debunked." That prompted King to recall how Trump's campaign manager had met with an Russian intelligence agent and shared valuable internal polling, which typically shows a candidate's weaknesses, strengths and battleground states. King was incensed when Kent would not acknowledge his point and continued to call it a hoax. "You're doing a good job not talking about that dinner," King said. "By the way, this was found unanimously by this committee in our report on the Russian involvement in the 2016 election." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
King, Collins press Trump nominee over his involvement in Signal chat controversy
Apr. 9—Maine's U.S. senators pressed President Donald Trump's nominee to be the director of the National Counterterrorism Center on Wednesday about his involvement in an unsecured group chat with other administration officials that included details of an impending counterterrorism strike last month. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, who both serve on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, questioned nominee Joseph Kent about using a commercially available messaging app to discuss the attack plans. A journalist with the Atlantic was accidentally invited into the chat, and his descriptions of the conversation — published after the attack took place — have prompted calls for investigations and resignations of some top defense and intelligence officials. That chat took place on the app Signal and included Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The discussion included specific details of the planned attack, including the target, timing and weapons to be used. Kent, who is Gabbard's chief of staff and was included in the chat, largely repeated the administration's assertion that the information was not classified. He cited ongoing litigation as a reason he could not discuss it further. Both Collins, a Republican, and King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, questioned the appropriateness of discussing highly sensitive information that could compromise the safety of American troops on a commercial phone app, whether it was officially deemed classified or not. But Kent, a former Green Beret and CIA officer, defended his use of the app. "Signal was installed on my government phone when I received it, senator," Kent said to Collins. "Signal has pretty adequate two-way encryption so Signal is routinely used and approved by the chain of command." Collins urged Kent to reevaluate that position. "Well, I hope this is something that, should you be confirmed, you will take a hard look at," she said. "I, too, have the Signal application on my phone, but I don't use it to discuss highly sensitive information, and I think we need perhaps guidelines that are clearer to members of the intelligence community and the Department of Defense to make sure we don't have a repeat of this." King was more forceful, accusing Kent of playing word games and getting into a heated discussion about the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. "Telling an adversary when an attack is going to happen, you're saying that's not classified?" King said incredulously. "You're just giving it a bit of semantics, but any person in this room would tell us that attack plans involving timing and weapons would be of immense value. If it had been the Houthis, instead of (Atlantic editor) Jeff Goldberg, we would have lost pilots in that strike, would we not?" "There was no classified information, and it's under litigation, senator, so I can't say much more about the Signal chat," replied Kent, who also refused to tell senators whether he was using a personal cellphone or a government-issued phone, or whether that device had been scanned for malware. That exchange with King came after a heated discussion about Afghanistan and Russia. While Kent pinned blame on former President Joe Biden for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, King noted that the Biden administration was executing a deal negotiated by Trump during his first presidency — a deal he said that did not include the input of the Afghanistan government. The chaotic August 2021 withdrawal led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members, the wounding of 45 more and the deaths of more than 170 Afghan civilians. Kent pushed back, saying Trump had tried to withdraw sooner but "we had members of the intelligence community, unfortunately, we had members of the media, who spread an extension of the Russia hoax, who said Putin was putting bounties on the heads of American soldiers, and that stopped Congress from allocating money." "Russia hoax?" King queried. "Yes, the Russia hoax," Kent replied. "The Russia hoax has been widely debunked." That prompted King to recall how Trump's campaign manager had met with an Russian intelligence agent and shared valuable internal polling, which typically shows a candidate's weaknesses, strengths and battleground states. King was incensed when Kent would not acknowledge his point and continued to call it a hoax. "You're doing a good job not talking about that dinner," King said. "By the way, this was found unanimously by this committee in our report on the Russian involvement in the 2016 election." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Susan Collins in spotlight for Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr. confirmation hearings
Jan. 29—Sen. Susan Collins will be in the spotlight this week as high profile hearings get underway for two of President Donald Trump's most controversial cabinet appointees. But it will require some extra hustle from Maine's senior senator. Both hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday. Collins will question former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, during a hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The Maine Republican also plans to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's appointee to lead Department of Health and Human Services, during a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Collins serves on both committees and her staff is trying juggle her schedule so she can participate in both public hearing. Independent Sen. Angus King also serves on the intelligence committee, which will have a separate opportunity to question Gabbard in private. Collins has already shown she is willing to break ranks with Trump and her fellow Republicans on the president's cabinet nominations. She was one of three Republican senators to vote against former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth's nomination to lead the Department of Defense last weekend, along with Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Collins cited Hegseth's lack of experience and his past statements about women not belonging in the military as reasons for her 'no' vote. In the end, Collins vote wasn't needed since Vice President JD Vance broke the 50-50 tie. Both Kennedy and Gabbard also face significant opposition, but Gabbard is believed to be the most vulnerable nominee. Senators are questioning her previous opposition to warrantless wiretapping of foreign targets and her sympathetic views of the Russian and former Syrian regimes. The intelligence committee is comprised of nine Republicans and eight Democrats, so a single Republican 'no' vote would deprive Gabbard of a positive recommendation to the full Senate. The nomination would still be decided by the full Senate, however. Collins' office says the senator is still reviewing Gabbard's positions. But she told the Washington, D.C. news outlet, The Hill, on Friday that there are "a lot obvious issues" with Gabbard, including her past opposition to a law allowing warrantless surveillance of foreign targets. Gabbard has since offered qualified support for the power to wiretap foreign targets, but Collins isn't convinced that Gabbard fully supports the program. "There are a lot of obvious issues," Collins told a reporter from The Hill. "Her answers to the written questions were very hedged on it. I know there's been a lot of reporting that she's changed her position. That's not how I read her answers. I read them as, 'I'll take a look at the reforms and see if they meet my concerns.'" Politico reported Monday that Trump allies are pressuring the committee to make its vote public as a way of pressuring wavering Republicans, including Collins, into supporting Gabbard. Unlike other committees, the intelligence committee typically deliberates and votes in private. Collins will also have the opportunity to question Kennedy, a vaccine critic who has been nominated to lead the HHS Department. She has not taken a public position on the nomination, but has felt some pressure from advocates in Maine to reject it. Doctors in Maine and elsewhere across the country have mobilized in opposition to Kennedy. This week, the nonprofit health advocacy group, Protect Our Care, launched ads urging senators in eight states, including Maine, to vote against Kennedy, who they said in a press release would "defund life-saving research and put every Americans' health and well-being at risk." The 30-second digital ad blames RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine views for contributing to the deaths of 83 people, including children, during a 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa. It calls Kennedy "dangerous, reckless and unfit" to lead the nation's health care system programs that serve 125 million Americans. Collins office did not respond to questions about whether the ads are having any effect. Copy the Story Link
