At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) questioned Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth about the Signal chat leak scandal.
00:00This is a gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Moulton.
00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:05Secretary Higginseth, I'd like to clarify a few important details for the record.
00:09When you texted the launch time for F-18s going into combat over enemy territory facing anti-aircraft missiles on an unclassified signal chat,
00:17did that launch time come from Central Command, yes or no?
00:24I know what you're referring to, and there were no targets or locations or—
00:29Did it come from—it's a very simple question. Did it come from Central Command?
00:31Well, in this committee, no way in which I communicate or what I communicate on a successful strike is something that I would share.
00:39So you can't even identify the combatant command under which this operation occurred?
00:42Well, everybody knows the—
00:43Okay, so everyone knows the Central Command.
00:45So when Central Command sent you this information, did they send it on a classified system or an unclassified system?
00:51Well, as you know, having served yourself, any way that the Secretary of Defense communicates or provides information in and of itself is classified and not to be discussed.
01:01So what was the classification marking of the launch time when it was sent to you?
01:05Because DOD regulations require information on classified systems to be marked.
01:09What was the classification mark time?
01:13Yeah. What was the classification marking?
01:16Again, classifications of any information in an ongoing operation that was successful are not things that would be disclosed in a public forum.
01:23You know that.
01:23You can very well disclose whether or not it was classified.
01:26That's not—it's not classified to disclose whether or not it was classified.
01:30And, in fact, DOD regulations state that any classified information has to be labeled with its classification.
01:37Was it classified secret or top secret?
01:40What's not classified is that it was an incredibly successful mission against the Houthis.
01:45Okay, so it was classified.
01:46So are you asserting—are you trying to say that the information was unclassified?
01:52I'm not trying to say anything.
01:54Okay, that's what I thought.
01:55You're not saying that.
01:55So you took classified information from Central Command that had a classification marking on it, because that's what's required by DOD regulations, and you put it on an unclassified system.
02:05So we're going to get a report in a few days from the DOD Inspector General.
02:10And if the DOD Inspector General finds what is pretty obvious, both to you smiling there in the witness seat and to all of us up here, that the information was, in fact, classified, do you plan to take any accountability for that?
02:23As I pointed out at the time—
02:25And you said that accountability is back.
02:27Does that not apply to you?
02:29As I said at the time, Congressman, there were no names, targets, locations, units, routes, sources, methods, no classified information.
02:37Okay, so if it comes back that it is classified, will you take accountability or not?
02:43We've already established—you've already admitted that it was classified because everything you get from CENTCOM is classified.
02:49You just explained that to me.
02:51That's how you justified not answering the question.
02:53That's what I said. I didn't confirm any classification or clarification.
02:56Okay, so if it is confirmed—
02:57What I know is that everything I share, everything I talk about—
03:01Mr. Secretary, does accountability apply to you or not?
03:03Is classified whether I talk or not.
03:05Does it apply to you or not?
03:07Does what apply to me or not?
03:08Accountability. You said accountability is back at the Secretary.
03:11And you know what? The Houthis were held accountable for shooting at our—
03:14I'm just asking if it applies to you.
03:16Very successfully.
03:16I'm not asking about the Houthis.
03:17This administration let our ships get shot at, and nothing was done about it.
03:20And thankfully, because of the skill and courage of our troops on the battlefield—
03:23I'm just asking about—
03:24We actually put them in a place where they called for a ceasefire.
03:28I reclaim my time.
03:30I'm just asking if accountability applies to you.
03:32It's a very simple question.
03:34We use leadership by example.
03:35Of course.
03:36Unlike, you know, I serve at the pleasure of the President like everybody else does.
03:39So it only applies to the President, not to you?
03:41I serve at the—
03:45You talked about the success of the Houthi operation.
03:47About how much money did it cost?
03:49How much money did you spend on missiles shooting at the Houthis?
03:52Well, you'd have to compare that with what it cost.
03:54I'm just asking how much did it cost.
03:56Divert our shipping lanes around the Red Sea.
03:57I'm told it's several hundred million dollars, maybe close to a billion dollars.
04:01How many U.S.-flagged commercial ships have transited the Red Sea since your so-called successful operation?
04:06Well, thankfully, unlike the previous administration—
04:09The answer is zero.
04:09Military vessels transited—
04:11No, no, no.
04:11I didn't ask about military vessels.
04:13I asked about commercial vessels.
04:15Well, which would be the precursor for—
04:15How many commercial vessels—
04:17It's been several weeks.
04:18How many commercial vessels U.S.-flagged have transited the Red Sea?
04:20Well, would you, Mr. Congressman, put civilian ships through the BAM for military ships?
04:22The questions are not to me, Mr. Secretary.
04:24They're to you.
04:25We have responsibly put military ships—
04:26The answer is zero.
04:27I reclaim my time.
04:29How many generals and admirals have you fired?
04:31I don't know the exact number, but—
04:33You don't know the number?
04:34It's eight.
04:36Can you explain why—
04:38Can you explain why any of them were fired?
04:41Like, just explain—why was—
04:42They all serve at the pleasure of the president, and I think—
04:44No, I'm just asking you why.
04:45General Cain is a great example of a—
04:47I'm just asking you why.
04:48And you probably learned at Princeton what why means.
04:50Why did you fire him?
04:52They serve at the pleasure of the president, and we want a better representation in each and every of those—
