Politics

GOP Senators Under Fire For Stabbing Pete Hegseth In The Back: ‘We’ll Deal With Them’

Published

4 days ago

March 27, 2025

In what some conservatives are calling a betrayal, several Republican senators have publicly distanced themselves from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a leak involving military information—despite President Trump continuing to stand by his top national security officials.

The incident, dubbed “Signalgate,” stems from a Signal group chat created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The chat, meant to coordinate military operations targeting Houthi militants in Yemen, mistakenly included Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.

Within that group, top Trump officials—including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Hegseth himself—discussed specific timelines and attack plans, including aircraft launch times and bombing schedules.

The leak exploded into a media frenzy after Goldberg confirmed the group’s messages were real and published details of the operation in The Atlantic.

Although the strikes were successful, the method of communication and accidental inclusion of a journalist sparked concern and fueled accusations that protocol had been disregarded. But while President Trump dismissed the ordeal as “the only glitch in two months” and a product of media hysteria, some Senate Republicans have turned sharply critical—targeting Hegseth in particular.

WASHINGTON – Jan 30 2025: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at a White House press briefing after a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines flight 5342 by DCA airport.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn’t hold back. “I think they should make sure it never happens again. I wish they’d tell us, ‘It will never happen again.’ It’s the first strike in the early stages of an administration,” he said according to The Hill. “Don’t let it ever happen again.”

Cramer added, “I don’t know how many strikes you get. In baseball, you get three. Maybe this is worth two. If mistakes like this continue to happen, we’ll deal with them as it happens. My hope and my expectation is that it won’t.”

Despite the warning, Cramer’s remarks were taken by many conservatives as a clear shot at Hegseth—someone seen as a loyal fighter for the America First movement and a longtime ally of Trump.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS.), who chairs the Armed Services Committee, emphasized that the material discussed “should have been classified.” Wicker and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) said they’ve sent a letter to the Pentagon urging the inspector general to expedite an investigation and are also calling for a classified briefing.

Yemeni forces to confront the Houthis. War in Yemen and Palestine, War on Terror. Yemen July 11, 2024

“We are commissioning fact-finding oversight processes,” Wicker said. He and Reed are also pressing for the preservation of all related Signal conversations.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) piled on Wednesday, saying Hegseth and others “made a mistake” and “should own it and fix it so it never happens again.”

But the situation is complicated further by the fact that Hegseth’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense in January passed by the narrowest of margins. Vice President Vance had to break a tie after two Republican Senators voted no.

The sentiment now, especially among grassroots conservatives, is that GOP senators who voted against Hegseth—or are now throwing him under the bus—will be remembered.

After graduating from Princeton, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard. He served deployments at Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His military awards include two Bronze Stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal.

In November, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Hegseth for the position of Secretary of Defense.