Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon Criticizes Trump Officials Over Security Breach Allegations
Nebraska Republican Congressman Don Bacon has sharply criticized senior Trump administration officials following a recent security breach that led to classified war plans being inadvertently leaked to the media.
The controversy began after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed on Monday that he was mistakenly added to a Signal messaging group that included National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other high-ranking Trump officials. Within this group, detailed discussions occurred regarding imminent military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Congressman Bacon Raises Concerns over Security Practices
Speaking with CNN’s Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju, Bacon, who previously served as a signals intelligence officer, strongly criticized officials for discussing sensitive military operations through what he described as unsecured channels.
“The real issue is putting top secret information on an unclassified device, talking about war plans that are imminent,” Bacon said.
He further claimed, without providing concrete evidence, that adversaries such as Russia and China likely accessed these communications:
“I will guarantee you, 99.99% with confidence, Russia and China are monitoring those two phones. I just think it’s a security violation, and there’s no doubt that Russia and China saw this stuff within hours of the attacks on Yemen or the Houthis.”
Despite Bacon’s assertions, Signal’s messaging system is highly regarded in cybersecurity circles for its robust end-to-end encryption. The open-source encryption protocol used by Signal is regularly audited and widely trusted by cybersecurity professionals. To date, no known vulnerabilities have been identified that Russia, China, or other state actors could exploit directly. However, security experts caution that no messaging system is entirely foolproof, particularly if individual devices are compromised.
Bacon Condemns Anti-Europe Sentiment Within Trump Administration
Additionally, Bacon expressed frustration over what he perceived as anti-Europe sentiment within the leaked communications, criticizing senior Trump officials for their negative attitudes towards longstanding U.S. allies in NATO and Canada.
“I just hate to see the loathing towards Europe. Europe’s our ally. NATO is our ally. Canada’s our ally. I think now we can see why they’re so condescending and rude to our allies because you just see it in private texts,” he said.
Bacon added concerns regarding how personal biases against allied nations might influence U.S. foreign policy decisions.
Criticism Extended to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Senator J.D. Vance
Bacon also specifically targeted Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Senator J.D. Vance, criticizing their past public statements about America’s defense obligations toward Europe.
Referring to Hegseth, Bacon remarked:
“I’ve always had concerns, but I wish him success. He got confirmed, so once he got confirmed, I turned the page and tried to move forward.”
He described the incident as a deliberate mishandling of classified information, stating:
“This is a gross error, and it’s intentional. They intentionally put highly classified information on an unclassified device.”
History of Tensions Between Bacon and Trump Allies
This is not the first time Congressman Bacon has publicly clashed with Trump or members of the America First movement. In 2023, Bacon faced criticism after comparing the movement’s supporters to elements of Nazi Germany, particularly amid contentious debates over House Speaker leadership, notably his opposition to confirming Rep. Jim Jordan.
Bacon’s latest comments underscore ongoing divisions within the Republican Party, highlighting deeper ideological and strategic disagreements ahead of future political battles.