Mick Mulvaney, former President Trump's chief of staff, said he was “absolutely stunned” by the cryptic message Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) sent out Wednesday about a “serious national security threat.” In a statement, Turner urged President Biden to declassify the threat so the issue could be openly discussed, enabling Congress, the administration, and allies to respond.
“I’m absolutely stunned by Mike Turner’s comment today, trying to figure out what good he was trying to accomplish,” Mulvaney said on NewsNation, reports The Hill. “There’s no reason for Mike Turner to do this. If it was really serious and it’s a clear and present danger, to use a legal term, then you certainly wouldn’t want it to be public. There’s no reason to make this [statement] to declassify this.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson and others sought to quell the panic it caused in Washington and beyond.
“I want to assure the American people, there is no need for public alarm,” Johnson told reporters. “We are going to work together to address this matter, as we do all sensitive matters that are classified.”
As Matt reported on Thursday, the national security threat reportedly involves “Russian advances on a new, space-based nuclear weapon designed to threaten America’s extensive satellite network,” according to The New York Times.
Mulvaney speculated that Turner created a panic over the issue to boost support for Ukraine aid, which is currently struggling on the Hill.
“That’s the only thing that seems to tie up with the facts so far, that Mike Turner wants more money for Ukraine, and he’s decided to do this to scare people into voting for it,” Mulvaney said. “And that is a stunning development, if it’s true, from the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.”