Reed Statement on Trump Cabinet Breach of Operational Security

WASHINGTON, DC –Today,The Atlantic reportedthat senior members of President Trump’s cabinet discussed highly classified military plans and operations over “Signal,” an commercial messaging app, and apparently mistakenly included the editor-in-chief ofThe Atlanticin the group chat while active military missions were discussed and executed. The group chat included the Secretaries of Defense and State, as well as the National Security Advisor, CIA Director, and several other top Trump appointees.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response:
“If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen. Military operations need to be handled with utmost discretion, using approved, secure lines of communication, because American lives are on the line. The carelessness shown by President Trump’s cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”