#Defense Secy #PeteHegseth did not apologize Wednesday for disclosing on a #Signal chat what time American fighter jets were taking off & launching strikes against #Iran-backed #Houthis in #Yemen. Instead he relied on the #semantic argument that his disclosures, which also relayed specific times that a “strike window” for F-18s would begin in a chat that inadvertently included a journalist, were not “war plans.”

#Rubio said he contributed 2X — 1st when he identified his chief of staff as his point of contact & 2nd when he congratulated the team after the attack on the #Houthis.

"I’ve been assured by the #Pentagon & everyone involved that none of the information that was on there — though not intended to be divulged. Obviously, that was a mistake & that shouldn’t have happened. But that none of the information on there at any point threatened the operation or the lives of our servicemen.“

Secy of #State #MarcoRubio said in remarks today in Jamaica that someone made a “big mistake” adding #TheAtlantic's editor-in-chief to the #Signal chat that contained info about a #military attack on the #Houthis in #Yemen.

Unlike everyone else in the #Trump admin, he didn’t defame #JeffreyGoldberg.

"Obviously, someone made a mistake. Someone made a big mistake & added a journalist. Nothing against journalists, but you ain’t supposed to be on that thing," Rubio said.

#TulsiGabbard said the release of the additional screenshots by #TheAtlantic today “were a refresher on what happened.” But she said she stood by her responses to the #Senate yesterday, when she said she did not recall that the #Signal chat included the timing or order of the strikes on the #Houthis.

Earlier, Rep #JimmyGonez reminded them they’d been in office for less than 2 months & this all took place just 10 days ago.

#JasonCrow showed the advanced air defense systems the #Houthis have, & then said it was outrageous that the #Trump admin was not accepting responsibility for the leak. “It is a leadership failure, & that’s why Secretary #Hegseth, who undoubtedly transmitted #classified sensitive operational information via this chain, must #resign immediately,” he said.

Rep #JasonCrow, #Democrat of Colorado, asked #TulsiGabbard if she was traveling during the time of the attack & the #Signal discussion. She said she was traveling in Asia, but did not recall what country.

Crow made the point that the #Houthis have been able to shoot down U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones, one of the weapons used in the strike on #Yemen & got #Gabbard to say she knew Houthis had that capability.

So, Steve Witkoff was participating in the Signal group discussing war plans against #Houthis while being physically in Moscow, perhaps even in the Kremlin. He met Putin late on March 13. Obviously, the odds of Russia not compromising any device he would bring there are pretty slim.

@skykiss @havvyhh2

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was asked about the leak of Signal conversations that were disclosed to a journalist:

"So, you are talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who has made a profession of peddling hoaxes."