Michael Bennet and John Ratcliffe Clash Over Leaked Signal War Plans

Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing

• 🎯 Senator Michael Bennet questioned CIA Director John Ratcliffe regarding a leaked Signal group chat concerning Yemen war plans.
• ❓ Bennet sought confirmation on whether Ratcliffe's testimony indicated no wrongdoing or targeting information within the Signal thread.

Journalist's Involvement and Credibility

• 📰 Bennet referenced Secretary of Defense Pete Hexath's strong criticism of Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeff Goldberg, calling him "deceitful" and a purveyor of "hoaxes."
• 🤷 Ratcliffe stated he was unaware of Goldberg's comments and did not know him personally, thus having no opinion on the Secretary of Defense's evaluation.
• ❓ Bennet pressed Ratcliffe on whether Goldberg's inclusion in the Signal thread was appropriate, especially given the Secretary of Defense's assessment.
• ❌ Ratcliffe ultimately testified that it was not appropriate for Goldberg to be added to the Signal thread.

Use of Signal for Classified Information

• 📱 Bennet inquired about the CIA's rules for handling classified information and whether Signal is used for such purposes.
• 🚫 Ratcliffe confirmed he does not use Signal for targeting or classified information, aligning with Bennet's own stated practice.
• ⚠️ Bennet expressed shock at the presence of a reporter on a classified thread, contrasting it with Ratcliffe's assertion that it was "normal."

Awareness of Thread Participants

• 📍 Bennet asked if Ratcliffe was aware that the President's Middle East advisor was on the Signal thread while he was participating.
• 🤷 Ratcliffe stated he was not aware of the advisor's presence on the thread at that time.
• ❗ Bennet concluded by calling the situation "sloppiness, incompetence, [and] disrespect for our intelligence agencies," deeming it unacceptable and an embarrassment.