House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, released a very vague, cryptic statement on Wednesday about a "serious national security threat" that lawmakers have been briefed about. The statement has led to serious speculation online about what this threat might be and whether or not the country is in imminent danger.
Don't you just hate it when people do that on social media? Post something that makes allusions to some sort of bad thing going on, but cloaking it in such a way as to draw attention to it and force people to contact them personally to see what's up? If you're going to say you're going through a struggle, just say what it is, already.
Also, if our country is in danger, it's probably a better idea to release a statement with more details to prevent folks from getting worried or upset.
"Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has made available to all Members of Congress information concerning a serious national security threat," Chairman Turner said in a statement published on X.
"I am requesting that President Biden declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat," he continued.
Statement from Chairman @RepMikeTurner: pic.twitter.com/OA9yJuEPlf
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) February 14, 2024
Earlier in the week, Turner sent a letter to his colleagues revealing that his committee had "identified an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability that should be known by all Congressional Policy Makers."
🚨FROM ME AND @heatherscope
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) February 14, 2024
House members got this email
House Intel Chair Mike turner just told house republicans to go to SCIF for a briefing on FISA ahead of a possible vote this week. pic.twitter.com/OZyxn4JlDQ
Via Townhall:
The HPSCI was previously said to be working on making some "space related" committee material available to all members of Congress, presumably the information mentioned by Turner in his statement and letter to lawmakers. According to NBC News, Democrats also called the matter "a serious issue that could lead to a destabilizing situation and a national security threat" and confirmed it was a "potential foreign threat," but did not tell the outlet which foreign entity from which the threat emanated.
The chances of the threat becoming known to the public even without Biden using his declassification power will increase as more members of Congress are briefed on the matter, though it's impossible to know the timeline for when the threat will come into clearer focus.
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During a White House press conference that took place not long after the warnings from Congress were released publicly, Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser, would not state that Americans should rest easy, nor would he state there is nothing imminent to be frightened of. Instead, he replied to all of this by saying, "I am confident that President Biden in the decisions that he is taking is going to ensure the security of the American people going forward."
You mean the guy who was in cognitive decline, as affirmed in a report from Special Counsel Robert Hur just a few days ago? The same man who cannot remember the year his son died and gets presidents of other countries confused? You'll have to excuse me if I don't share the same level of confidence that Sullivan does.
In fact, this statement actually makes me a whole lot more antsy. My security and that of my family is in the hands of a man who has more holes in his brain than a slice of Swiss cheese. Now may be a good time to hit your knees and begin to pray, ladies and gentlemen.
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