In an interview aired on Wednesday's “PBS Newshour,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said he was “clearly categorized” in the Trump administration's signal chat, saying, “If I had done this in the Air Force, I would probably have won Article 15.
“I think it's clearly categorized. So they're digging a big hole in themselves. They should just be simple and honest. For example, we want to say the operation itself. And if information reaches Houthis, it could put the US military in danger.
Co-host Amna Nawaz said, “So, if this is a violation and it puts our power at stake, what accountability would look like, Mike Waltz knows that journalist Jeff Goldberg has added to the chat. Pete Hegses posted the information.
Bacon said, “I'm not ready to say that. It was my fault for coming online to Mike Waltz and adding a journalist. That's what you want to see. You want to see someone take responsibility. But the secretary is still denial, but I think he was doing something wrong. Fire this or I'll do it.”
Nawaz said, “But are you responsible enough for you? If accountability is what you want to see – for example, if you were on your order when the military disclosed this information, they would have been charged. There would have been some kind of accountability.
Bacon said, “Well, you're right. If I had done this in the Air Force, I would have lost clearance. I would have probably got Section 15. It would have been a non-judicial punishment. It would have probably prevented me from being promoted. You would be absolutely right.
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