WASHINGTON (AP) – On Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s top intelligence officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and FBI Director Kash Patel, were set to brief House lawmakers on the global threats facing the United States. This hearing follows a similar one held on Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where Gabbard provided her office's assessment of security challenges facing the nation. The discussions are expected to touch on key topics, particularly the group text regarding military plans in Yemen.
During the Senate hearing, Gabbard highlighted the ongoing security threats posed by countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, alongside serious concerns regarding drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. These threats align with Trump’s foreign policy focus on addressing issues such as illegal immigration, human trafficking, and the trafficking of fentanyl, which continues to plague communities in the U.S.
The briefings come at a critical time, as Trump is also seeking to negotiate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, following Russia's invasion three years earlier. The hearing is part of an annual review conducted by the House Intelligence Committee to better understand and address the various threats targeted at American interests.
During Tuesday’s Senate hearing, significant attention was directed at the revelations regarding Ratcliffe and Gabbard's involvement in a group chat on Signal, a messaging platform, where they allegedly discussed military operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The chat also included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, raising concerns among lawmakers.
Both Gabbard and Ratcliffe have defended their actions, asserting that no classified information was shared in the messages exchanged within the group. However, Democratic lawmakers expressed serious concerns about using a messaging app for discussions that could potentially risk the safety of U.S. servicemembers if such information was disclosed. They pressed Patel to investigate the matter, anticipating that similar questions would be posed to him during the House hearing.
The National Security Council has announced plans to investigate the use of the messaging application, which Trump downplayed, referring to it as a "glitch." Additionally, it was reported that Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, was part of the group chat and had invited Goldberg to it, further complicating the narrative surrounding the discussions.
This situation indicates a potential shift in how intelligence and military operations are communicated and the tools used for such discussions. The House and Senate hearings reflect the ongoing tension between maintaining national security and ensuring transparency and accountability among intelligence and military leaders.
