Washington, DC – Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) released the following statement calling for the resignation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth:
“In January, after thorough evaluation, I concluded that Pete Hegseth was wholly unqualified to serve as Secretary of Defense, which is why I voted against his confirmation on the floor. The full set of Signal messages released by The Atlantic are just the latest and most dangerous example.
“Mishandling classified information on sensitive war plans, in an unsecure group chat no less, is not only irresponsible, but it could have gotten our troops killed. We are fortunate to have averted a tragedy this time, but it’s clear that Secretary Hegseth is unfit and lacks the judgment needed to safely and responsibly lead the Defense Department. We should not hold our Defense Secretary to a different standard than our servicemembers.
“I believe the American people deserve to clearly understand the risk this negligent misstep poses to our national security. I join the chorus of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle calling for a swift and thorough investigation of this incident, as well as a review from the intelligence community of the ongoing risk.
“I believe Secretary Hegseth should resign, and there should be full accountability for National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and all others involved.”
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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.