After top-level Trump administration officials, major national security scandals are still unfolding I accidentally invited a journalist In private text chats used to plan military strikes in Yemen.
When President Donald Trump and his constant Republicans try to minimize the incident, they fall into Congressional Democrats, investigating what happened and protecting the people from the operational failures of the administration.
Republicans have long used Congressional investigations to effectively attack political enemies over foreign policy controversy. After an attack on two US government facilities in Benghazi, Libya in 2015 and a rush to assign responsibility for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then majority leader Kevin McCarthy He told Fox News How did the GOP Playbook work?
“We thought Hillary Clinton was invincible, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a selection committee,” McCarthy boasted. “What is her number today? Her numbers are decreasing.”
Below are 10 things Democrats can do in days, weeks and months, including borrowing tactics from the scandal playbooks they have used against Democrats in the past.
1. Keep it simple and explain the scandal to busy people
The technologies and issues involved in the leak are somewhat complicated, including issues such as signal messaging apps and US policy in the Middle East. But that doesn’t mean that Democrats’ rhetoric about the incident is not simple.
For example, when Republicans raked the Biden administration over coal. Retract From the Obama administration for the Afghanistan or Benghazi attacks, they didn’t fall into weeds about the policy – and those attacks resonated frequently as a result.
Most Americans use messaging apps. They will not want their secrets to be exposed to the world. When thousands of lives are on the line, that’s even worse. That’s what the Trump administration did and that’s how Democrats can understand the big issues.
2. Oppose Trump’s candidate Those
Just two months after Trump’s new presidency, Senate Democrats are already burned by their bipartisan appetite. Despite Trump’s open mindset against his rule of law, his embrace of misogyny and prejudice, and his indifference to his fundamental facts, the party voted to confirm some of his cabinet candidates. Express later I regret that.
Senate Democrat Caucus members voted for Trump’s candidate, even if details of the leak were released. Christopher Landau (To the State Department) John Phellan. Phelan, who will become the Navy Secretary, is Trump’s main donor I have no military experience. Vote for him rear Text leaks are particularly strange choices for Democrats.
After President Joe Biden retreated from Afghanistan, Republicans blocked He is from promoting military officers. The Democrats can still do the same thing.
3. Be aggressive when talking about the national security crisis
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer I was asked “Bipartisan Survey” in text chat. It seems right to seek national unity on this issue of magnitude, but Schumer’s rhetoric is as unstable as it is in recent years as reality is. Vote in favor of Trump’s brutal budget priorities.
Republican voters as controversy over the Benghazi attack are raging I saw the scandal Polls show that it is just as important as events in Watergate and Iran-Contra. Despite the tragedy of the attack, Republican leaders constantly distorted the size of the incident. Former Vice President Dick Cheney I said “It was only one [the] The worst case of my career I can remember. “Of course, Cheney was vice president on September 11th.
Democrats can discuss the possibility that foreign intelligence agencies and other bad actors can access chats and perhaps other private chats. That’s not an exaggeration. The Trump administration has already done it once.
Good example of this: Georgia Democratic Sen. John Ossoff It’s attracting attention This kind of thing happens when leaders like Trump choose his Defense Secretary Pete Hegzes from the ranks of Fox News Stoking Head.
4. Put the media accountable for ignoring or underestimating stories
As the initial shock of the leak disappears, mainstream media may return to form by minimizing the severity of the incident. In fact, major media outlets like The New York Times, which amplified multiple stories about Hillary Clinton’s email servers in 2016, have already been Downplay that.
Democrats can highlight this issue while highlighting the importance of the incident. By noting that this caliber violation could put America’s lives at risk, Democrats can ask the press to question key officials such as Hegus, Trump and the Director of National Intelligence. history of Promotion (for hostile foreign governments).
5. Requests answers from government agencies about scandals and fallouts
Members of Congress have the authority to request information and documents from government agencies. Republicans It was fired Biden administration with such demands after Afghanistan’s withdrawal.
Not only can the defense and intelligence reporting agencies be targeted for such demands, Democrats can also clarify whether secret backchannels are being used in other unrelated institutions and projects like Elon Musk’s so-called government efficiency, asking why it is being discussed and why it is outside of public review.
Congress has a constitutional duties of oversight, and that comes into play here. Already, Florida’s MP Maxwell Frost Issued demand Officials involved in “Hegseth Disaster Signal Chat” keep records in anticipation of possible litigation and the investigation of Congress.
6. Request a hearing and follow up with more hearings
As a leader like House Speaker Mike Johnson, it’s already unlikely that Congressional Republicans will hold a hearing in Leak. Already tried Turn the page into an embarrassingly debacle.
But Democrats should not accept just one investigation. House Republican Five releases Commission investigation into the Benghazi attack setting House Selection Committee on Issues. There was also a Senate investigation.
The playbook is wide open, with multiple aspects of the case being organized by numerous committees, and as new information and witnesses surface, there is a range of areas where the optimal processing of the investigation can be expanded.
7. Use media to push concerns about scandals
In addition to pushing journalists and news organizations to cover their stories, Democrats can use the look of multiple media to forward the stories surrounding the leak. Republicans have made a fair amount of hay from all democratic actions, from Afghanistan’s withdrawal to Benghazi and President Obama’s decision. Wear a tan suitespecially former President Bill Clinton Infidelity during the job.
Mainstream news networks have constantly featured members of Congress and other political leaders. Even if the main topic is completely irrelevant, Democrats can look at how one area of Trump administration’s incompetence or fraud reflects the chat leak controversy.
8. Amplifies veteran concerns about national security violations
Republicans sought to attack the Biden administration over Afghanistan’s withdrawal testimony From a veteran who witnessed some of the tactical mistakes. Military security is directly at the intersection of chat leaks, and Democrats need to be careful.
That’s what veteran advocacy groups like Votevets do. Already pushed For answers about the case, and Democrats would like to take on their cause. Similarly, there are multiple democratic office holders who are veterans and have already spoken out about issues involved in leaks. There are never too many voices like this.
9. Send criminal referrals related to leaks and potential cover-ups
In the process of investigating the leak, there is a very high chance that those involved will lie or mislead.
Republicans who fell into the point that Biden’s son Hunter didn’t turn responsibility I introduced him And his uncle James Biden went to the Justice Department over allegations that they lied to Congress (crime). This did not lead to accusations, but it created coverage for the story and renewed interest.
If people are lying about leaks, and someone like Hegses already has one I lied to the reporter About it – this is another path the Democrats can go down.
10. Don’t be satisfied with the government’s spin or keep pushing more answers
Questions about chat leaks inevitably lead to more questions. Based on Trump and his track record of support, the group chats from hell aren’t just the back channels of communication that exist in the administration.
Democrats can ask and investigate this phenomenon and all the other questions it raises. Was the other institutions involved? Have important GOP numbers like Elon Musk and Mike Johnson connected? Are there any ongoing text chats about national security with conservative media people? Shawn Hannity Who is known to have card ears? Has Trump or anyone under him used this information and sharing of information for personal financial gain?
Trump has shown that even when Americans live on the line, there is absolutely zero interest in moral or ethical boundaries. These questions are not out of scope and are not within the scope of his existing well-known patterns of behavior.
In an ideal world, Republicans will be clean about what they did, their heads will roll, and the Americans will be educated about what is being done in their names. But that world does not exist, so Democrats should incite the flames of scandals to reflect what Republicans have done in the past, promoting their agenda, and use those tactics to protect America from Trump’s incompetence.
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