GOP Rep. Bacon: There’s ‘Clearly Classified’ Info. In Signal Chat, I’d Lose Clearance, Get Punished, If I Did This When I Was in Air Force

NAWAZ To further discuss ░░░░░░░░ signal incident I spoke ░░░░░░░░ with the Republican Congressman ░░░░░░░░ Bacon of Nebraska He ░░░░░░░░ nearly three decades in ░░░░░░░░ U S Air Force ░░░░░░░░ as a brigadier general ░░░░░░░░ starts NAWAZ Congressman welcome ░░░░░░░░ to the NewsHour thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for joining us ░░░░░░░░ Thank you very much ░░░░░░░░ So have you seen ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ many people who were ░░░░░░░░ this Signal group chat ░░░░░░░░ denied that it included ░░░░░░░░ information We ve seen ░░░░░░░░ Atlantic has now published ░░░░░░░░ text of those chats ░░░░░░░░ specialized in intelligence in ░░░░░░░░ Air Force Do you ░░░░░░░░ classified info in these ░░░░░░░░ BACON I think it ░░░░░░░░ clearly classified so they ░░░░░░░░ digging themselves a bigger ░░░░░░░░ They should just be ░░░░░░░░ and honest and say ░░░░░░░░ screwed up Now I ░░░░░░░░ to say the operation ░░░░░░░░ I praise it the ░░░░░░░░ were shutting down the ░░░░░░░░ lines of communication and ░░░░░░░░ had to open it ░░░░░░░░ so I support that ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ away from that But ░░░░░░░░ is no doubt when ░░░░░░░░ start saying two hours ░░░░░░░░ the operation We re ░░░░░░░░ to launch these aircraft ░░░░░░░░ this time we re ░░░░░░░░ have bombs go off ░░░░░░░░ this time and you ░░░░░░░░ talking about Yemen then ░░░░░░░░ s classified So I ░░░░░░░░ implore the secretary of ░░░░░░░░ and others just own ░░░░░░░░ and say It was ░░░░░░░░ fault I screwed up ░░░░░░░░ take responsibility I think ░░░░░░░░ keep digging a deeper ░░░░░░░░ and then when you ░░░░░░░░ that you lose credibility ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ good for America either ░░░░░░░░ So on why this ░░░░░░░░ was shared in the ░░░░░░░░ place one expert we ░░░░░░░░ to said that even ░░░░░░░░ junior officer would ve ░░░░░░░░ that this is classified ░░░░░░░░ Shouldn t Pete Hegseth ░░░░░░░░ of Defense Hegseth who ░░░░░░░░ serve in the military ░░░░░░░░ t he have known ░░░░░░░░ was classified BACON Yes ░░░░░░░░ should have known it ░░░░░░░░ And I think everybody ░░░░░░░░ that Signal chat should ░░░░░░░░ known that that was ░░░░░░░░ inappropriate place to put ░░░░░░░░ data of our aircraft ░░░░░░░░ timing the impact times ░░░░░░░░ all that The secretary ░░░░░░░░ defense should have known ░░░░░░░░ Now I try to ░░░░░░░░ people the benefit of ░░░░░░░░ doubt he may have ░░░░░░░░ or rushed I don ░░░░░░░░ know but there s ░░░░░░░░ no excuse for putting ░░░░░░░░ kind of data and ░░░░░░░░ the way it endangers ░░░░░░░░ crews If that was ░░░░░░░░ on an unclassified network ░░░░░░░░ hours before the strikes ░░░░░░░░ s enough time if ░░░░░░░░ would ve informed the ░░░░░░░░ say if Russia would ░░░░░░░░ informed the Houthis they ░░░░░░░░ ve been more prepared ░░░░░░░░ these attacks So that ░░░░░░░░ our forces at risk ░░░░░░░░ So if this was ░░░░░░░░ breach and it puts ░░░░░░░░ forces at risk what ░░░░░░░░ accountability look like I ░░░░░░░░ we know Mike Waltz ░░░░░░░░ the journalist Jeff Goldberg ░░░░░░░░ the chat Pete Hegseth ░░░░░░░░ the information Should they ░░░░░░░░ fired BACON I m ░░░░░░░░ prepared to say that ░░░░░░░░ do want to thank ░░░░░░░░ Waltz for coming on ░░░░░░░░ and saying Hey it ░░░░░░░░ my fault for adding ░░░░░░░░ journalist That s what ░░░░░░░░ want to see You ░░░░░░░░ to see someone take ░░░░░░░░ I think Mike you ░░░░░░░░ Waltz is a friend ░░░░░░░░ mine I believe he ░░░░░░░░ a reasonable voice in ░░░░░░░░ administration a voice that ░░░░░░░░ need The secretary is ░░░░░░░░ in denial though that ░░░░░░░░ did anything wrong I ░░░░░░░░ that that reflects worse ░░░░░░░░ the actual incident when ░░░░░░░░ can t own up ░░░░░░░░ a mistake So I ░░░░░░░░ the jury is still ░░░░░░░░ and I m a ░░░░░░░░ reluctant to say fire ░░░░░░░░ or that I want ░░░░░░░░ for the individual taking ░░░░░░░░ That s where I ░░░░░░░░ at NAWAZ But is ░░░░░░░░ responsibility enough for you ░░░░░░░░ mean if accountability is ░░░░░░░░ you want to see ░░░░░░░░ instance if someone in ░░░░░░░░ command when you were ░░░░░░░░ the military disclosed information ░░░░░░░░ this they would ve ░░░░░░░░ prosecuted There would ve ░░░░░░░░ some kind of accountability ░░░░░░░░ does that look like ░░░░░░░░ And if there is ░░░░░░░░ accountability what message does ░░░░░░░░ send BACON Well you ░░░░░░░░ right If I would ░░░░░░░░ done this in the ░░░░░░░░ Force I would lost ░░░░░░░░ clearance I probably would ░░░░░░░░ got an Article 15 ░░░░░░░░ is non judicial punishment ░░░░░░░░ would have probably prevented ░░░░░░░░ from being promoted So ░░░░░░░░ re absolutely right I ░░░░░░░░ know we re dealing ░░░░░░░░ a secretary of defense ░░░░░░░░ made a mistake I ░░░░░░░░ more worried by the ░░░░░░░░ that he won t ░░░░░░░░ it.”