South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds criticized officials for leaking information on Signal during a military operation in Yemen. Rounds spoke with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room” on Thursday.
The senator, who serves on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, addressed the incident.
“These folks made a mistake, and they’re having a very difficult time trying to explain how they made the mistake,” Rounds said.
The controversy erupted after The Atlantic magazine published unredacted Signal chats about a Yemen attack following testimony from Trump officials before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Rounds said the leak diverted attention from the military success.
“What a terrible thing to have happen in the middle of the program where our young men and women come in, they kick butt, they clean things up, they do it in a joint response after months of not being able to do so,” Rounds said.
According to Rounds, both congressional committees are investigating the incident.
“The Republicans and Democrats behind closed doors on the Armed Services Committee and the Intel Committee, we work together. We recognize the seriousness of this indiscretion,” Rounds said.
Committee leadership requested an Inspector General report that may include classified information if necessary.
While President Trump publicly dismissed the investigation as a “witch hunt,” Rounds suggested a harsher private reaction.
“I think my assessment would be that the president has probably, behind closed doors, said a lot more than that, but I think he said it directly to them, which is where he needs to,” Rounds said.
The senator said the leak overshadowed the achievements of service members.
“It doesn’t give these young men and women in uniform credit for what they did. A really great job,” Rounds said.
Lawmakers are now examining how a journalist gained access to the Signal chat group.