Dem Rep. Houlahan: What They Did with the Signal Chat Is ‘Absolutely, 100% Illegal’ and ‘a Career Ending Decision’

BOLDUAN Congresswoman your reaction ░░░░░░░░ seeing these messages put ░░░░░░░░ HOULAHAN Well clearly these ░░░░░░░░ have been caught in ░░░░░░░░ huge lie And we ░░░░░░░░ it was a lie ░░░░░░░░ we knew that the ░░░░░░░░ had spoken about what ░░░░░░░░ included in these text ░░░░░░░░ which was weapon systems ░░░░░░░░ was targeting which was ░░░░░░░░ You know here it ░░░░░░░░ 1215 F 18 launch ░░░░░░░░ trigger based F 15 ░░░░░░░░ Target his known location ░░░░░░░░ much more specific can ░░░░░░░░ get in terms of ░░░░░░░░ that would absolutely be ░░░░░░░░ information on a channel ░░░░░░░░ they absolutely know are ░░░░░░░░ aware is not a ░░░░░░░░ channel that they should ░░░░░░░░ allowed to share this ░░░░░░░░ of information on And ░░░░░░░░ heads should roll People ░░░░░░░░ be fired Frankly people ░░░░░░░░ have resigned long ago ░░░░░░░░ served in the military ░░░░░░░░ a TSSCI clearance and ░░░░░░░░ I done something as ░░░░░░░░ as this and as ░░░░░░░░ as this I would ░░░░░░░░ walking into my commanding ░░░░░░░░ and resigning long ago ░░░░░░░░ Can I also ask ░░░░░░░░ I had one of ░░░░░░░░ colleagues Republican Congressman Warren ░░░░░░░░ on just a moment ░░░░░░░░ reading the same exact ░░░░░░░░ that you were reading ░░░░░░░░ I asked him as ░░░░░░░░ s also a former ░░░░░░░░ ranger and I asked ░░░░░░░░ if he would be ░░░░░░░░ and comfortable if a ░░░░░░░░ like this was released ░░░░░░░░ minutes before before planes ░░░░░░░░ about to launch for ░░░░░░░░ strike And he said ░░░░░░░░ I ve heard you ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ you would say you ░░░░░░░░ exactly what the target ░░░░░░░░ going to be or ░░░░░░░░ who the target is ░░░░░░░░ to be He says ░░░░░░░░ says I do not ░░░░░░░░ that s very precise ░░░░░░░░ You HOULAHAN And for ░░░░░░░░ s sake you know ░░░░░░░░ s absolutely no way ░░░░░░░░ this can be a ░░░░░░░░ way for him to ░░░░░░░░ responded I was standing ░░░░░░░░ when he said that ░░░░░░░░ my eyes were rolling ░░░░░░░░ the back of my ░░░░░░░░ If if he had ░░░░░░░░ that person flying that ░░░░░░░░ 18 if he had ░░░░░░░░ aware of all the ░░░░░░░░ that had been done ░░░░░░░░ try to figure out ░░░░░░░░ that target is and ░░░░░░░░ locate them that person ░░░░░░░░ their girlfriend s house ░░░░░░░░ absolutely knows how toxic ░░░░░░░░ dangerous and deadly that ░░░░░░░░ of information is And ░░░░░░░░ s lying to himself ░░░░░░░░ s lying to the ░░░░░░░░ people And it s ░░░░░░░░ you know when I ░░░░░░░░ make decisions here every ░░░░░░░░ of what to do ░░░░░░░░ what to say I ░░░░░░░░ one of the people ░░░░░░░░ called out President Biden ░░░░░░░░ what I thought was ░░░░░░░░ withdrawal from Afghanistan I ░░░░░░░░ a Democrat We need ░░░░░░░░ do the right thing ░░░░░░░░ need to lead and ░░░░░░░░ the right kind of ░░░░░░░░ here and say the ░░░░░░░░ thing It s not ░░░░░░░░ to backchannel your disappointment ░░░░░░░░ your anxiety about this ░░░░░░░░ have to be public ░░░░░░░░ it And I m ░░░░░░░░ my Republican colleagues to ░░░░░░░░ the right thing to ░░░░░░░░ for the resignation of ░░░░░░░░ many people who share ░░░░░░░░ information in channels that ░░░░░░░░ knew to be illegal ░░░░░░░░ to share this information ░░░░░░░░ I also say it ░░░░░░░░ noteworthy because I was ░░░░░░░░ to say you are ░░░░░░░░ a moderating voice You ░░░░░░░░ you are often more ░░░░░░░░ down the middle calling ░░░░░░░░ balls and strikes especially ░░░░░░░░ it comes to matters ░░░░░░░░ the military and our ░░░░░░░░ forces As I mentioned ░░░░░░░░ re a veteran of ░░░░░░░░ Air Force The Air ░░░░░░░░ was part of this ░░░░░░░░ These were manned missions ░░░░░░░░ was not a drone ░░░░░░░░ If Hegseth or Waltz ░░░░░░░░ they have made a ░░░░░░░░ if they apologize and ░░░░░░░░ that it won t ░░░░░░░░ again is that enough ░░░░░░░░ you HOULAHAN No absolutely ░░░░░░░░ This is a career ░░░░░░░░ decision on the part ░░░░░░░░ anybody who did this ░░░░░░░░ of mistake If I ░░░░░░░░ a junior enlisted or ░░░░░░░░ officer as I was ░░░░░░░░ I had made this ░░░░░░░░ of mistake I would ░░░░░░░░ have resigned been fired ░░░░░░░░ court martialed and possibly ░░░░░░░░ sent to jail Because ░░░░░░░░ things are absolutely 100 ░░░░░░░░ illegal.”