Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that Fox News Host Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) suggesting the Massachusetts Air National Guard airman allegedly leaking classified information was a good thing are destroying American’s ability to defend itself.
Partial transcript as follows:
JONATHAN KARL: I mean, as you mentioned, there are some on the right that are not only sugarcoating it but actually applauding him.
GRAHAM: Yes.
KARL: I mean take a look at what Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted.
GRAHAM: Yes.
KARL: She said, Jack Teixeira is white, male, Christian and anti-war. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime. And he told the truth about troops being on the ground in Ukraine and a lot more. I mean Tucker Carlson’s kind of turning him into a hero. What – what do you make of that? Why?
GRAHAM: What they’re suggesting will destroy America’s ability to defend itself. That it’s OK to release classified information based on your political views. That the ends justify the means. It is not OK.
If you’re a member of the military intelligence community and you disagree with American policy and you think you’re going to be OK when it comes to leaking classified information, you’re going to go to jail. It’s one of the most irresponsible statements you could make. The ability for America to gather intelligence from human resources on the ground has been compromised. We can’t have a chaotic intelligence gathering system. If you give us information and it’s disclosed, you can lose your life. The way we gather intelligence protects our country. There are military members serving today from Georgia and other places who are less safe because of what this airman did.
There is no justification for this. And for any member of Congress to suggest it’s OK to leak classified information because you agree with the cause is terribly irresponsible and puts America in serious danger.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN