The defense secretary sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said.
This screenshot is the smoking gun. The Defense Secretary—on Signal—live texting classified strike times to people without the proper clearance. Hegseth’s defense? Blame a “disgruntled employee” and bash the media. And the White House is still standing by him. 1/2
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) April 21, 2025 at 10:18 AM
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Well, I guess hypocrisy is baked in not an add on.
ReplyDeleteI just can't even with these MAGA fools.
It must be said that when I saw all the boxes of documents, many deemed classified stored in the bathroom of the FOTUS's castle I knew all our secrets were 'out there'. So when I read about the latest SecDef debacle I'm not surprised, just incredibly disappointed.
Side note - the Pope died today, a day of redemption and hope I'm told (I'm not Catholic so I'm not up to date on their sacred holidays). If one is going to go, passing on an already holy day is a way to make a splash. I liked him, he was a good pope as popes go. I will miss his very Christ-like approach to leading his faith.
Grey... regarding Pope Francis...
DeleteI'm from what some call, the other side of the theological spectrum from Francis. Being "mostly" Baptistic, I grew up with different traditions and inderstandings of God, Jesus and yes, Mary.
But most of my neighborhood was Catholic, and I work and serve in Mexico, a Catholic country. So I have some experiences to fall back on and the papacy has always held a level of interest for me.
Francis has been an interesting figure in the world of Christianity. While he did not really change policy or doctrine on the big issues facing his church, think women in ministry, married priests and LGBTQ issues, he tried to and hopefully, changed the tenor and tone in regards to how people for and against those issues, should be treated.
The contrast will be front and center at his funeral.
Francis was a pope who kneeled before outcasts and marginalized, washed and kissed their feet. He spoke of his king, Jesus, as one who was knocked down multiple time on the road to Golgotha, yet never struck back. One who willing gave his life for others.
The world leaders who will assemble to fete him later this week, including Narcissist in Chief Trump, many who claim or frequently pal around with ppl who claim, to love Jesus, will pale in comparison.
As you mentioned, Francis was indeed very Christ like publicly and as best as I can tell, in private.
Surprise, Why is everyone so shocked with what is done. You elect a reality show host as president and he places a talk show guest as head of defense. shouldn't shock anyone but it should be of concern. What were these people going to do with the information, nothing. Did it change anything in the attack, no but should it have happened, no again.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be a long four years and we have ourselves to blame because we select incompetent candidates to run for all the wrong reasons. We had four years of the government only supporting the less than 3% groups run by someone who couldn't stay awake so let others govern for him. We then go to someone who is hell bent on getting his way no matter the consequences.
Now we have the democrat party who's spoke people are a bartender who is totally clueless and a socialist whose only message is it is the rich's fault you can't succeed. Contrast that with a president who does whatever he wants and thumbs his nose at everyone because he can.
You attack AOC referring to how she supported herself after college? Do you know why she did that? Do you care? Of course not, you attack and attack and attack with no knowledge behind your demeaning attacks.
DeleteAOC worked as a bartender after college and here's why: "After college, Ocasio-Cortez moved back to the Bronx and took a job as a bartender and waitress to help her mother—a house cleaner and school bus driver—fight foreclosure of their home."
In normal times, people would admire a young woman who, graduating from a prestigious university with honors took a humble job to help her mother. But not skudrunner, who didn't bother to find out why she worked as a bartender, instead he decided it is a job for unqualified US Reps!
AOC is as qualified as anyone else, more so, actually, since she actually is intelligent, and an honors graduate from university, compared with the US Reps like MTGreene and Boebert!
AOC attended Boston University, where she double-majored in international relations and economics, graduating with honors
"On June 26, 2018, Ocasio-Cortez drew national recognition when she won the Democratic Party's primary election for New York's 14th congressional district. She defeated Democratic Caucus chair Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries. She easily won the November general election, defeating Republican Anthony Pappas. She was reelected in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
Taking office at age 29, Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
Some accomplishment for a person you call "clueless!"
You don't like her politics, skud. Fine. But trying to smear her as nothing more than a bartender is a low and base way to disagree with someone's politics. That's what Trumpers do to people who are better than they are and more successful.
PS. I am in a lovely relationship with a man who graduated from Harvard University on a full scholarship -- this man also worked as a bartender to supplement his income while in university. Does that also diminish his successes?
From Quora: "Ocasio-Cortez is not from a rich family. She has a degree, cum laude, from Boston University. But it takes time to build up a career. Especially in politics.
DeleteSo instead of sitting around doing nothing she got a day job. She kind of had to. Her father was dead and her mother was about to lose her home.
And as far as day jobs go, bartending is a good one. It pays well. The tips are a huge plus. And the hours are flexible. In some ways it’s the perfect job for someone trying to break into an industry as their “real job”.
With this comment... "Now we have the democrat party who's spoke people are a bartender who is totally clueless and a socialist whose only message is it is the rich's fault you can't succeed." Skud perfectly illustrates the problem we face.
DeleteClearly he's speaking about House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or to some, AOC.
If Skud had done a simple check of Wikipedia he would have known AOC majored in both International Relations and economics. But either that was too difficult, or Skud felt her education simply does not matter.
Either way, it's an indictment of how we view politicians when some either knowingly dismiss their educational work or don't care enough to even find out if they've ever studied at a university.
Skud's dismissal of AOC is, IMO, a knee-jerk reaction because she comes from the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party. I also believe skud gets a lot of his misinformation, propaganda from ONLY right-wing media. He parrots what he reads or hears and does no research before attacking Democrats.
DeleteAnd here we are.
He blames the Democrats for running, in his descriptions, an unqualified woman, VP Harris, just because she is a woman of color.
VP Harris was an elected District Attorney from San Francisco; and elected Attorney General from the state of California; an elected US Senator from the state of California; and then an elected VP of the USA. She worked in all three branches of government --judicial, legislative, and executive. Yet, skud has called her unqualified.
When Donald Trump ran in 2016, he was a failed businessman who openly bragged about sexually assaulting women because he's a star, and who cheated people out of money owed to them, and cheated on all three wives.
Trump ran agains and lost to a woman who had been FLOTUS, and during her husband's administration worked on a plan for universal health care; she was then elected by the state of New York as US Senator, and then was our Secretary of State under former President Barack Obama.
Both Clinton and Harris were far, far more qualified to be POTUS than was Trump.
The problem is with the American electorate, not with the two women who ran.
Just ask anyone who has watched from afar how foolish 1/3 of the American voting population is, and, may I add, woefully uneducated and juvenile in their assessments of what qualifies someone to be POTUS!
Shaw... remember when Skud supported hard work and decried all the lawyer types going into politics? Regular, everyday ppl he would say were needed on Congress. Now he apparently doesn't believe in ppl getting an education and working hard to support their family to keep them off the public dole after all.
DeleteHis snarky denunciation and dismissal of AOC and her education is telling...
Facts really don't matter. Only ppl with an R after, GOP before, or a red MAGA hat are qualified to be in the federal government. At least in his view.
A few threads for people to pull at...
ReplyDelete1. Even if you have a security clearance, such as Hegseth's brother and personal lawyer did through their work at the Pentagon, you don't just get access to sensitive information. That information is processed on a need to know basis.
2. Hegseth is reported to have used his own, unencrypted cell phone for sensitive DoD information.
3. Is there any reason, or need for Hegseth's wife to have been in on these chats? Is it reasonable to expect military leaders to not share sensitive mission critical information with their spouses?
4. Republicans and MAGA folks for years have said, and in some cases, continue to say Hillary Clinton should be in jail for allegedly not taking proper care with sensitive she had on her personal devices. This begs the question... were those ppl just gaslighting back then, or can we expect some intellectual consistency in regards to hegseth?
5. Enemies intent on learning as much as possible about our military rely on getting information in bits and pieces from whatever source. Then they put it all together to form a cohesive picture about us. Do, or did actions like this, from the Sec Def, possibly compromise the security our armed forces?
6. This one is for BB and others here who have actually held security clearances or served in the military. If you had done this, exposed mission critical info before a mission, what would have happened to you? Would your superior have excused your lapse? Would you have been court martialed? Sent to the brig? Demoted?
All of the logical, sensible, rational procedures are no longer observed if is has the blessings of the dictator or, he chooses to do nothing about it when it does.
ReplyDeleteThe rules and laws matter not to the dictator or his appointed syncophants.
I'm with Grey One, highly disappointed and concerned but fully expect more of the same to follow. Most likely with increased intensity.
Trump will never, IMO, get rid of Hegseth, not matter how many times he screws up -- and he's made outrageously horrid mistakes. It would be an affront to Trump's ego to admit Hegseth is a bumbling idiot and a danger to our security. So Trump will keep him on because Trump's fragile ego and stupidity is more important to him than the safety of our country.
DeleteAs if one cue, and to recover this post from Skud's inability to stay on point, we now know the following...
ReplyDelete1. Sec Hegseth, new to all the DoD stuff, was warned once the order had been given for the Yemen strike, to be careful and not share details of the impending attack, over the "Signal chat". And yet he disregarded that warning, which was possibly offered to keep the young and inexperienced Sec Def from making a horrible mistake.
2. According to Hegseth's texts to the group including his wife and brother, Cent Com had received the official "GO" order on the mission. This means the mission was on and proceeding. Former military officials and longtime military reporters are now reporting what this means in real time... all exterior public communications on our participating ships go "dark' so no one can screw up and accidentally, or purposefully share the details of a pending attack.
And yet... our Sec Def did exactly that.
I wonder why those comms go dark in the theater of operations? Any guesses? Can anyone, again, maybe BB or -FJ, tell us?
Hegseth has more tattoos than an M-13 illegal immigrant. Homan should show more interest ---
ReplyDeleteBB... I think Hegseth's gang is excused from scrutiny...
DeleteAs to skud's comment. Typical skud claptrap and both siderism. Both the "cluess bartender" and the (democratic) socialists have a greater grasp on truth and reality than scud has ever shown with his inane reaction to almost everything.
ReplyDeleteMost of us will take Representative AOC's and Senator Sanders views over tRump and republicans views hands down any day of the week.
Ms. Shaw, Never did I say AOC's job as a bartender was not honorable, my son was a bartender who made very good money. I just said she is clueless with zero experience in running anything. Her first elected office was house of representatives, no city council, no school board, no experience other than attractive and well funded. Her seat was bought in a small democrat district and to her credit she understands the power of social media.
ReplyDeleteJust because you have a degree does not mean you are smart or experienced.
AOC does come off well with her finger pointing and yelling. I will give her credit for standing up to madam pelosi and her illegal insider trading. No other democrat had the guts to stand up to her and get ruined so credit to her for that. Going on the stump with the bern and blaming all ills on the rich is popular but solves nothing.
skud: "I just said she is clueless with zero experience in running anything. Her first elected office was house of representatives, no city council, no school board, no experience other than attractive and well funded..."
DeleteDonald Trump's first elective office was president of the United States! Tommy Tuberville's was US Senator! Lauren Boebert 's was US Rep. All three had never served an elective office before going to DC. Why on earth do you pick on AOC? It is your opinion that she's "clueless," which you back up with not one damn example. Not one. Would you like me to show you examples of cluelessness in Trump, Tuberville, and Boebert?
Here's one on Trump from his former Pentagon Chief, Mark Esper.
One would have to be a special kind of cluelessly stupid person to wonder why the military can't just shoot American protestors. Trump was the president when he asked that outrageously stupid, clueless question!
Tuberville: "In an Alabama Daily News interview after the election, Tuberville said that the European theater of World War II was fought "to free Europe of socialism" and erroneously that the three branches of the U.S. federal government were "the House, the Senate, and the executive."
School kids know better than that. Tuberville is just plain dumb.
Boebert: She's completely misunderstands a court ruling and makes a fool of herself. And, then there's that shameful sexual behavior with a male friend in a theater with families present. Clueless and sleazy Boebert.
Where's your example to back up your claim that AOC is clueless? Otherwise, I'd say it's just an opinion based on your dislike of anything Democratic.
skud: "Just because you have a degree does not mean you are smart or experienced."
DeleteAnd just because you have a low opinion of a woman, it doesn't mean SHE'S isn't smart. It just means your OPINION is that she's not smart. And you know the old saying about opinions. To me your opinion isn't based on anything except your disapprobation against AOC.
We do know this about her:
AOC was born into a middle class family, going to fairly good schools, with well-educated parents;
Came in second in the Microbiology category of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair;
Attended Boston University and graduated cum laude, majoring in international relations and economics;
Worked in various socially-oriented institution with prominent roles;
Became a US Representative at the age of 29.
What have YOU solved skud? Other than the usual both siderism and espousing your reified beliefs. At least they have exercised their ability to think beyond conditioning and outside of the restrictive box that most in society attempt to put you in.
ReplyDeleteRE:@Skud - " I just said she is clueless with zero experience in running anything." What the h*ll you think we got now?!
ReplyDeleteBut it's okay with skud because it isn't a liberal democratic party administration.
DeleteHypocrisy on steriods. Hypocrisy is the drug of MAGA and cons.
BB, et al... Trump does have experience at running his family businesses/companies. Now, I know many will say "But Dave, all those companies failed and he declared bankruptcy". And you'd be correct. But here's what most would be missing.
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump was running those companies not to have a long term "good" profitable business where employees would share in the wealth. No such thing at all. He was running those companies to make money, for himself.
Simply put, Trump's goal was not Apple, Standard Oil or US Steel. It was Trump Inc and Trump Inc. money. And in leveraging his properties, name and yes, braggadocio, he made tons of money. For himself and his family.
Sure he declared bankruptcy. Multiple times, But with each filing, he got richer because by using the law as it is/was written, he was able to discharge his debts, which included money owed to not just contractors, but his banks as well.
That was his business model. And again, it made him a ton of $$$.
Is it useful experience? That's a question for others, but let me add this...
It's been said that "running" for president requires a specific skill set. It's also been said that "being" president requires a different skill set.
Two presidents since Nixon have combined those skill sets and done America pretty well, Reagan and Clinton. For the most part, both of those men were good at campaigning and governing. But they are mostly exceptions.
Trump is a great campaigner, pure and simple. Mostly I suspect, because he just does it, follows his instincts and wins. Like his companies, his campaigns are mostly about him. He defines what is happening, how to market the product [himself] and he makes the decisions without pushback.
But he's a terrible president, based on the metric of actual legislative accomplishments, good governance and strong alliances between the US and Allies. He's terrible because government cannot be run like a family business where one person makes all the decisions and, if it goes south, you declare bankruptcy, keep your money and go home.
On the other side, being honest, ppl like HRC, Kamala Harris and even Al Gore ran horrible campaigns. They were too "managed", too poll driven and no one had a sense either of those candidates was ever showing their true self, unlike WYSIWYG Trump, lies and all.
But I believe all three of those ppl would have been great at governing. Sure, ppl like Skud would have hated them for their policies, but Skud's not an honest barometer, as BB has noticed.
The smarts will get this, difficult as it may be. Others? Probably not.
Your points Dave are, in my opinion, are spot on. Having said, that I identified, within three months of his first campaign he was an accomplished BSer without real substance or governing ability or intelligence.
ReplyDeleteThe Felon President would no doubt have succeeded fabulously had he chooses a life of a crime boss. Not Italian, but he would, in my opinion, have made very successful Mafioso Don.
But here we are. With a malignant narcissist and Felon leading a now declining nation.
Ms. Shaw, There you go misrepresenting what I said to fit your attack. I never said AOC was not smart just clueless. Give your exam to 10 high school students and the results will be shocking. That is one reason getting rid of DoE is the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteRev, "He was running those companies to make money, for himself". Most companies are in business to make money. I know that may be a hard concept to grasp but not every company can be a taxpayer funded charity who has no plans to make a profit.
skud, you gave no evidence for your labeling AOC "clueless." And you did question her intelligence with this remark: "Just because you have a degree does not mean you are smart or experienced." That implies that a person isn't smart.
DeleteFor the umpteenth time, the DoE does not have any control over curricula in the individual states. If kids in certain states are failing, that is the fault of that state, city, town or village that has control over what they learn.
The DoE helps finances for poorer states that cannot provide certain services for special needs students, because those states a too poor. Getting rid of the DoE will get rid of that help, and special needs kids will suffer.
And that's on Trump and his ghouls who don't give a flying donut for you, your children or anyone in desperate need of help.
Trump has turned this country into a dystopian hellscape.
Clearly Skud, you missed the point. Yes trump was running those companies to make money. But not by producing quality products or anything. His MO was to make money by gaming the bankruptcy system and laws.
DeleteSo it functions like this. Trump puts a building up as collateral for a large multi million, perhaps billion dollar loan. Over the next few years, all is good. Trump has his building and the rents and the bank is making $$$ on the interest while the loan gets paid back.
Once Trump has paid enough $$$ to, in his mind, match the original loan amount [principal] he starts looking for an off ramp. let's say that takes a year. The bank has all the original loan $$$ in their pocket and also a chunk of interest, but not all the interest, because of interest and amortization schedules.
Then at the end of that year, Trump quits paying at all. Now, some would say the bank is losing money, but the reality is they are just making less money than they had planned.
Trump is still getting his rents, he's making no payments. So he leverages THAT new building as collateral, with another bank, and by fraudulently, we now know, inflating its worth. He gets a NEW loan and buys another building, under a new LLC.
And claims bankruptcy on the original building that started this chain, gets his debt discharged, keeps the building and does it all again.
All 100% legal and IMHO, 100% disgusting.
So yes, he is successful at gaming the system. And making tons of cash. But is it honorable? Is it really good business?
Absolutely not.
As for Trump and his "taxpayer funded charity", he cheated there too and committed fraud, literally lying to his donors and 100% misusing charitable funds for personal gain.
Maybe if they spent less on bureaucracy they could provide an additional 100 billion to schools. You have admitted they are just a money providing agency who doesn't do anything so have another agency give the money away only more of it.
ReplyDeleteYour belief that biden gave a hoot about anything other than the middle class. As to your last sentence, only a portion feel that way. There are many who feel we lost four years of freedom from 2021-2024 so your assumption is only based on your own views.
skud, do you know, understand freedom? The seemingly complex, yet actually simple nature of what results in true freedom and liberty? Try to think about the question beyond, outside of your ego and societal conditioning.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice evening.