Former Republican Rep. Questions Why Marco Rubio 'Went Along' With Pete Hegseth's 'Reckless' Texts About US War Plans: 'Amateur Hour'

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger slammed high-ranking Trump administration officials for discussing military plans in a messaging app and inadvertently inviting a journalist to the group in which they did it.

"This is legit the most incredible and reckless thing I've ever seen. And why so many from Rubio, to Waltz, went along with it. Amateur hour," Kinzinger said in a post on X, making reference to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz.

Kinzinger, who broke with the party after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, serving in the committee that investigated the insurrection. He has been a vocal critic of the party ever since, leaving office in 2023.

Democrats were also quick to slam the officials after The Atlantic Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg detailed how he was invited to the group and confirmed its legitimacy after initial skepticism. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent detailed messages outlining military plans on March 15, which were carried out hours later. Goldberg then exited the group and contacted officials to understand how he had been included.

ep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, called the situation "FUBAR" on X and demanded immediate hearings, while Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) called it "amateur hour," criticizing the administration's foreign policy.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzer said that the "incompetence of the Trump administration is putting us at risk at home and abroad," while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made a joke at Hegseth's expense, saying he was "texting out war plans like invites to a frat party."

Former Defense Secretary during the Barack Obama administration, Leon Panetta, said on CNN that whoever created the channel on signal, an encrypted messaging app, should be fired. "Somebody on the Atlantic got the most sensitive emails you can imagine at the federal level. That is a serious blunder. It has to be investigated and somebody, frankly, needs to get fired," Panetta added.