Hegseth
“Did you hear the breaking news? The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was on a group chat of high ranking national security officials planning the attacks on Yemen. Leon Panetta just told CNN that whoever is responsible should be fired. This is going to be a big story, particularly if it is Hegseth.”
At noon today, Sunrise Illinois held a rally in opposition to Senator Durbin’s recent vote to avert a shutdown of the Federal government. While covering the event, I ran into Kenny, a man who regularly attends Progressive rallies. Wearing his customary white bicycle helmet and carrying a clever sign, he pulled me aside, telling me that at 3:30 PM a group of veterans were scheduled to rally in Daley Plaza. He didn’t think it would be a large gathering.
I didn’t plan on attending the mid-afternoon rally because I assumed it would be five or six veterans who had lost their jobs as Federal employees thanks to Elon Musk and his Department of Governmental Efficiency (“DOGE”). At 3:15 PM, I was still downtown, just a few blocks from Daley Plaza, so I sauntered over for the event. Who knows? As I headed toward Daley Plaza’s eastern edge, I saw six television news cameras mounted on tripods in front of a large podium. Something big was about to happen. Six news crews rarely show up for anything, but certainly not for five or six veterans.
Then I saw the large sign planted on a easel, “Hegseth Must Resign!” As I suspected, the rally was about the loss Federal jobs. In this case, not about the jobs held by rank and file Federal employees, but rather about whether any senior members of the National Security apparatus should lose their jobs over the Signal chat where 18 people discussed the imminent attacks on the Houthis in Yemen by U.S. fighter pilots.
The rally lasted no more than 30 to 35 minutes. It centered on statements by Representatives Danny Davis (Il. 7th) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL. 8th). Neither said anything that hadn’t already been said dozens of times on cable news or reported in major print-media outlets. The families of the airmen who flew the missions were irate, as were the airmen; any military personnel who engaged in a similar chat would have been court-martialed; the Russians could have been listening into the chat because Signal is not a secure app; those who testified before Congress the day before about the incident may have perjured themselves; Attorney General Pam Bondi was unlikely to prosecute any of the officials involved; and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had demonstrated why he should not have been confirmed.
Krishnamoorthi took the lead, laying out the facts. Davis took a more poetic approach, showing his emotions and indignation. Both efforts were highly effective.
It is too bad that this rally/press conference was put together at the last minute. I suspect that this could have been a much larger and more vocal event had there been a little more advanced notice, a celebrity musician, and a senator or two present. I, however, recognize why the two congressman wanted to go on record as soon as possible.
[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]
'Calling a Spade a Spade'
Full Coverage for the 5:00 PM Local News
Jesse Rojo of Veterans for Change Kicking the Program Off
"What You Do Matters"
Setting the Stage
Hegseth's Words Come Back to Haunt Him
"SECDEF ENDANGERS U.S. LIVES"
Pointing to a Copy of the Infamous Text Chat, Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Demands that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Resign
Quoting Senator Tammy Duckworth
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Laying Out the Facts
Representative Danny Davis was Emphatic When Demanding Secretary of Defense Hegseth's Resignation
Going Back to the Grade School Playground: "Loose Lips"
On a Roll
Part of the Text Message Chain, as Displayed During the Press Conference
Taking Issue with Hegseth
Chicago Alderman Gilbert Villegas Speaking Out Against defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Holding Today's Phrase
Copyright 2025, Jack B. Siegel (except the first two images in the post, which are copyrighted 2024). All Rights Reserved. Do Not Alter, Copy, Display, Distribute, Download, Duplicate, or Reproduce Without the Prior Written Consent of the Copyright Holder.
