Reporter Asks Karoline Leavitt: How Is What Pete Hegseth Wrote In Signal Group Chat Not Classified?

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At her press briefing on Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt was asked about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's comments in a leaked Signal group chat.

Transcript

00:00hardworking Americans.

00:01Peter.

00:02Q Carolina, if I can ask you very quickly about the information we've seen, just to

00:05set the predicate to all this.

00:06Has the President been briefed and physically seen the – he's seen all the details of

00:11the chat as printed by the Atlantic?

00:12MS.

00:13HARFORS I just spoke to the President about it, yes.

00:14Q Okay.

00:15Then let me ask you, if I can, very quickly.

00:16In the chat, Pete Hegsath, the Defense Secretary, details F-18s, tomahawks, some of the weapons

00:22that were used.

00:23He details the timing involved for this, all of which occurred 31 minutes before, as he

00:28says, F-18s would launch.

00:31The DOD manual details classified information as significant military plans, saying that

00:37is secret, that that's classified.

00:39So what about – there are no methods, there are no sources, but that's not what determines

00:44what's classified.

00:45So what is it about what Pete Hegsath wrote that makes you say this is not classified?

00:50MS.

00:51HARFORS Well, it's not just me saying that, Peter.

00:52It's the Secretary of Defense himself who is saying this as well.

00:56And he put out a very strong statement earlier today listing all of the things that were

01:00not included in that message that he sent to the group.

01:03And again, this message – there was no classified information transmitted, there were no war

01:07plans discussed.

01:09Why did the Atlantic downgrade their allegation about war plans to attack plans?

01:14They're now playing word games because they know this was sensationalist spin from a reporter

01:18who is well known for doing this.

01:20We have said all along no war plans were discussed, no classified material was sent.

01:24You have the Secretary of Defense saying that, you have the Director of the CIA, the Director

01:28of National Intelligence, the FBI Director all testifying to that under oath, and they

01:33should be trusted with that.

01:34QUESTION To be clear, Americans can make the decision for themselves, but whether – is

01:37the —

01:38MS.

01:39HARFORS Sure.

01:40QUESTION You said it's not war plans.

01:41Would you characterize these as military plans, military operation plans?

01:46MS.

01:47HARFORS I would characterize this messaging thread as a policy discussion, a sensitive

01:50policy discussion, surely, amongst high-level Cabinet officials and senior staff.

01:55And I'm so glad, Peter, that you said the American public can decide for themselves,

02:00because I think the American public should decide for themselves based on the outcome

02:04of this operation.

02:05And what happened in this operation?

02:08Terrorists that were allowed to run wild by the Biden administration were killed because

02:12of the direction and the determination of this President and his team.

02:16And this message also shows – this messaging thread also proved that President Trump has

02:21an incredibly dynamic team who is working incredibly hard, flying all over the world

02:26to secure world peace and to fix up the foreign policy crises that the previous administration

02:32left for this team to inherit.

02:34QUESTION So to be clear, we all in this room and around the country would agree that we're

02:37glad no American service members were harmed and we're glad that the mission was a success.

02:41We'll stipulate that.

02:42But the President said that – Pete Hegseth said none of this was classified.

02:46So given the President has seen it now, and given the President understands that significant

02:50military plans are deemed classified as secret, how does the President view none of this,

02:56which details times and weapons and more, as being not classified?

03:01MS.

03:02HARF I've already been asked and answered this question.

03:04The President's thoughts on this remain the same today as they were yesterday, as

03:08well as the Secretary of Defense.

03:10This question has been asked and answered.

03:12There was no classified material discussed.

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