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Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participated in a significant discussion regarding women’s contributions to establishing a climate-resilient future at the COP28 World Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on December 4, 2023.
During a recent event, Clinton strongly criticized President Donald Trump and his administration for their mismanagement of a serious incident involving the accidental release of U.S. military attack plans to a journalist. This mishap occurred when a reporter was inadvertently included in a Signal app chat thread with high-level officials.
In a pointed opinion piece published in the New York Times, Clinton remarked, “It’s not the hypocrisy that concerns me; it’s the sheer foolishness.” She highlighted her astonishment that Trump and his team showed a blatant disregard for the protection of classified information and federal record-keeping laws.
Clinton emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “What’s particularly alarming is that senior officials in the Trump administration jeopardized our troops by discussing military strategies on an insecure messaging platform, exposing those plans to unauthorized individuals.” She described the incident as not only risky but profoundly ignorant.
The former secretary of state, who was defeated by Trump in the 2016 presidential election, characterized this communications breach as part of a troubling pattern of self-inflicted harm by the current administration, which she claims undermines the United States’ strength and endangers national security.
Clinton pointed out various troubling actions by the Trump administration, including the dismissal of federal workers tasked with securing nuclear weapons, the cessation of initiatives to combat pandemics, and what she termed “performative disputes over wokeness” waged by Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.
In response to Clinton’s critical commentary, the White House had yet to issue a formal response to inquiries from CNBC regarding her piece.
For years, Trump and his supporters—including members of the Signal chat group—have criticized Clinton for her utilization of a private email server for state business during her tenure as Secretary of State under Barack Obama.
Hegseth, in 2016, asserted on Fox News, “Any security professional—military, governmental, or otherwise—would be terminated and potentially prosecuted for such reckless behavior with classified data.”
At an October 2016 rally, Trump claimed, “Hillary is the one who transmitted and received classified information over an insecure server, compromising the safety of the American public.”
A recent article by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, detailed that he accepted a communication request from Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, on March 11 and was subsequently added to a chat group labeled “Houthi PC Group.”
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The group included notable members such as Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director Scott Ratcliff, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Goldberg reported that conversations within the group led Hegseth to send texts on March 15 detailing military plans that included sensitive information about weapons systems, target locations, and the timing of imminent operations against Houthi forces in Yemen. This military action took place shortly after the texts were sent.
The revelations sparked a significant debate in Washington, although Trump and his administration downplayed the implications of the leaked communications, contending that the details shared with Goldberg were not classified. Some Democratic lawmakers have demanded the resignation or termination of Hegseth and Waltz due to the breach.
Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, expressed his concern, stating, “Our military personnel and national security deserve better than Pete Hegseth. He lacks the qualifications for this role, and if he does not resign, the president should take action to dismiss him.” He underscored the perilous nature of the situation, asserting, “This type of incident can lead to loss of life, and accountability is necessary.”
Waltz, while serving as a congressman in June 2023, had previously questioned Clinton’s actions on social media, asking how she could delete numerous government emails on a private server, while Trump faced legal scrutiny for possessing documents he had the authority to declassify.
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