Federal employees of any country can, of course, be exposed to foreign threats. Threats against heads of state typically get the most attention, but being a member of parliament also carries risks.
“The FBI came and gave me a defense briefing and told me that there were only a few members of Congress that would be targeted in a disinformation campaign,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told FOX He told News Digital. . “And, you know, kind of recognizing that.”
The Texas Republican said that threat specifically comes from China, which has been monitoring McCall since 1997 when he was a federal prosecutor. China sanctioned him on his first visit to Taiwan in 2023 during the 118th Party Congress.
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House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said it was targeted by Iran, Russia and China. (Getty Images)
of The New York Times reported Last month, several members of Congress, including McCaul, Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), were targeted in a disinformation campaign over their anti-China policies.
“I think all of us who are part of the China Commission are aware of the fact that China knows exactly who we are, and they don't like the commission,” Massachusetts said. said state Rep. Seth Moulton (D). The House Select Committee Against the Communist Party of China told Fox News Digital. “This is an example of what we have to be careful about.”
Asked what it's like to live knowing every day that a hostile foreign force is trying to spy on you and your colleagues, Moulton replied, “I'm a Marine. I feel fine.”
Other senior members of Congress who spoke to Fox News Digital, including Rep. Joe Wilson (RS.C.), acknowledged facing foreign threats but declined to elaborate.
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Congressman Seth Moulton said he and other members of the House Select Committee on China are keenly aware of the Chinese Communist Party's surveillance activities. (Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
But China is not the only country targeting U.S. lawmakers. McCall also detailed Russia's overt surveillance of past congressional delegations. And he also mentioned another FBI defense briefing he received, this time about threats from Iran.
“The FBI took me to a classified location and said, 'We just want to let you know that you're currently under indictment in Iran…We just want to let you know for your own self-awareness.' '' McCall said. Said.
The reason for this, he said, was that McCall was one of the people who advised then-President Trump to proceed successfully with the operation to kill top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
“It's interesting because the argument at the time was, 'Oh my God, we killed Soleimani, just think about the counterattack and backlash.' And it was like radio silence from Iran. They were just stunned,” he said.
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Some members of Congress have experienced foreign threats. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
McCaul said it was “a little bit scary” to live under the threat of multiple foreign governments, adding that he “needs to be a little more aware” of his situation.
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He also did not expect these threats to abate, nor did he expect his diplomatic work to stop, even though his term as House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman ended.
“If anything, as I step down, I think my role will be more of a messenger, going back and forth with the administration,” McCall said.
