Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go to Don Bacon now, Nebraska second District Congressman.
It's been a while, Don, Good morning, God to have
you back.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Good morning, Garyman, Montgomery, Alabama. You're a ready to do
a graduation speech for Offscer Training School, a place where
I graduated forty years ago. So it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Fun, excellent. Yes, I asked you on because, as you know,
and we chatted a little bit via text, you've got
a lot of conservatives in Nebraska. Now I'm mad at
you again, this time over your comments relative to Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth and saying that if it were you
in the White House, he would be gone. Basically, is
that your that's your position, right?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yes, And I have a hard time believe that real
conservatives field this right. I think if you're partisan, maybe,
if you're if you're a shirt versus a skins type person,
maybe you say got to defend it all costs somebody
that clearly did something wrong. But if you're an objective
person trying to do what's right and wrong, or the
(00:57):
stand up what's wrong the right and oppost is what's wrong,
Pete Texas has no ground to stand on. He put
operational details of an upcoming mission that's going to happen
in two hours strikes on Yemen. He put it on
an unclassified application signal. And I will just tell you Gary,
(01:18):
the Russians and Chinese are all over his phone. And
how do I know that? This is what I did
for thirty years in the Air Force as a signals
intelligence officer. I can tell you the Russians and Chinese
at that same level we would be closely trying to
monitor whatever whatever they're saying. And I guarantee you the
Russians and Chinese have tons of folks working on Pete
(01:41):
Texuv's phone and to put operational details about upcoming strikes.
It's wrong. It's called an it's an opset violation. And
all we ever wanted, particularly me, is for the Secretary
just to say, you know, this is wrong. I shouldn't
have done it. I take responsibility. Thankfully the strikes went
well anyway, but I learned my lesson. But instead he
(02:05):
denies it's a problem, and on Tuesday was dishonest about it.
So I don't think he has a lot of credibility.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
What was he dishonest about Tuesday?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, Tuesday he said on the second chat, all I
did was do coordination about media. Well that was ninety
percent true with the second to the chat with his family,
who were not clear to know about these details. But
at the very end he put in verbatim what the
four star generals sent him on the upcoming strikes that
(02:37):
were going to happen in about two hours. And it
was a verbatim of when the strikes were going to
or the airplanes are going to take off, and what
type of aircraft exactly the things that Yemen would love
to have had, you know, two hours before before they
were they were hit. And so what he said was
I don't want to put details, you know, trying to
you know, coordinating with media, and as was reported by
(02:59):
nb SEE and others, well that was the start. At
the very end, though, it was a verbatim text on
what the four star general sent him on a classified
a system, so he took it verbatim from a classified
system to put it on his signal chat to his family.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So you say that's verified, because what I want to
know is when this came out, it was everybody, everybody
who opposes Trump and Egsath jumped to believe the report.
You say, it's you say it's verified.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Now, Okay, the first one, the first one, we know, yes,
and he did. He supposedly said this to the family
immediately after the first chat with all the exact data.
I haven't seen the precise chat. And that's why I've
always said, if this is true, this is what I
would do. But the fact is he did verbatim on
the first chat, and then he supposedly did this set
(03:52):
to his family immediately afterwards. That's probably the exact same data. Okay,
but you're right, I have not seen the actual chat.
For the second one, NBC reported and I reported it. Yeah,
And if I always say if it's true, it's.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Wrong, Well, okay, here's the problem. Here's what I'm getting
a lot of feedback on don relative to that is
that you seem eager to believe it and condemn him.
And I'm wondering if you are concerned at all that
you are now seeming to be the go to Republican
for the mainstream, largely leftist media whenever something controversial comes
(04:29):
up relative to Trump or the Defense Department.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Well, I just very I did this for thirty years
of a signals intelligence officer, I deployed four times. The
fact is he did put operational data on that first chat.
That's verifiable, and I'm when a guy denies it's wrong.
You know, we got millions of people in uniform, all
of us know what's wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Well, wouldn't you have to know, wouldn't wouldn't you have
to know on that chat what operation he was talking about.
There was no location given, there was no enemy mentioned.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
We're launching the f A teams at such and such
a time, and you put that chat in its fatality
with what Mike Waltz put in what the Vice President
was saying. I think it's pretty clear what's going on there.
And the Chinese and Russians aren't dumb, Yeah, you know
they're they're they're smart. Now if they didn't, if we
didn't know exactly what was on the first chat, I
(05:25):
probably be lost prone to uh two of us critical,
But these are we're dealing with service mends in women's lives.
When the flying missions over an enemy territory in two hours,
and he's got a no better. He is the Secretary Defense.
We would have fired a lieutenant for doing this. Gary,
(05:45):
what about it? I expect high standards from the Secretary
of Defense.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Rose Congress will what about this, which it speaks to
half of the issue. Uh, you clearly feel passionately about this,
You clearly have an expertise in this area. Why not
go to the National Security Advisor? Why not go to
the Vice President? Why not go to somebody in the
White House and make this claim rather than go public
(06:12):
with it and let them hear you out, let them
hear your explanation, because now they're just calling you nothing
more than a tool of the left, which is not productive.
Why not keep this more private and internal?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Well, I could be more private. I could be a
lot more public too, Jim, I got nineteen TV quests
the other day. I did one. I did do local.
I did do local TV because we're at multiple events,
but you know public I did one on Jake Tapper
was the one I did. But this is the problem.
We have so many people saying it's the shirts versus
(06:47):
the skins, saying you got to be totally loyal if
you're over here, going to be totally bashing if you're
on the other side.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, but for those people, it is for Jake Tapper
and those people, it is the shirts and the skins,
and they're going to spread this far and white quickly
before we go. Because I asked people for specifics one email,
I can't get to all of them. Robert wants to
know where you stand on the MS thirteen gang member
who was sent back to his home country of l Salvador.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Hey, I'm for sending gang members back home. They if
they're here illegally in their gang, sent them back home.
So I totally supported them.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
All right. Well, Congressman Don Bacon, thank you. Always good
to have you on Don down there in Montgomery, Alabama today. Well,
more time.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I think he's a general, he's a brigadier general. He
has credibility in military and matters. I can't believe I'd
argue with that. An important person in the White House
wouldn't listen to this
Let's go to Don Bacon now, Nebraska second District Congressman.
It's been a while, Don, Good morning, God to have
you back.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Good morning, Garyman, Montgomery, Alabama. You're a ready to do
a graduation speech for Offscer Training School, a place where
I graduated forty years ago. So it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Fun, excellent. Yes, I asked you on because, as you know,
and we chatted a little bit via text, you've got
a lot of conservatives in Nebraska. Now I'm mad at
you again, this time over your comments relative to Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth and saying that if it were you
in the White House, he would be gone. Basically, is
that your that's your position, right?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yes, And I have a hard time believe that real
conservatives field this right. I think if you're partisan, maybe,
if you're if you're a shirt versus a skins type person,
maybe you say got to defend it all costs somebody
that clearly did something wrong. But if you're an objective
person trying to do what's right and wrong, or the
(00:57):
stand up what's wrong the right and oppost is what's wrong,
Pete Texas has no ground to stand on. He put
operational details of an upcoming mission that's going to happen
in two hours strikes on Yemen. He put it on
an unclassified application signal. And I will just tell you Gary,
(01:18):
the Russians and Chinese are all over his phone. And
how do I know that? This is what I did
for thirty years in the Air Force as a signals
intelligence officer. I can tell you the Russians and Chinese
at that same level we would be closely trying to
monitor whatever whatever they're saying. And I guarantee you the
Russians and Chinese have tons of folks working on Pete
(01:41):
Texuv's phone and to put operational details about upcoming strikes.
It's wrong. It's called an it's an opset violation. And
all we ever wanted, particularly me, is for the Secretary
just to say, you know, this is wrong. I shouldn't
have done it. I take responsibility. Thankfully the strikes went
well anyway, but I learned my lesson. But instead he
(02:05):
denies it's a problem, and on Tuesday was dishonest about it.
So I don't think he has a lot of credibility.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
What was he dishonest about Tuesday?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, Tuesday he said on the second chat, all I
did was do coordination about media. Well that was ninety
percent true with the second to the chat with his family,
who were not clear to know about these details. But
at the very end he put in verbatim what the
four star generals sent him on the upcoming strikes that
(02:37):
were going to happen in about two hours. And it
was a verbatim of when the strikes were going to
or the airplanes are going to take off, and what
type of aircraft exactly the things that Yemen would love
to have had, you know, two hours before before they
were they were hit. And so what he said was
I don't want to put details, you know, trying to
you know, coordinating with media, and as was reported by
(02:59):
nb SEE and others, well that was the start. At
the very end, though, it was a verbatim text on
what the four star general sent him on a classified
a system, so he took it verbatim from a classified
system to put it on his signal chat to his family.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So you say that's verified, because what I want to
know is when this came out, it was everybody, everybody
who opposes Trump and Egsath jumped to believe the report.
You say, it's you say it's verified.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Now, Okay, the first one, the first one, we know, yes,
and he did. He supposedly said this to the family
immediately after the first chat with all the exact data.
I haven't seen the precise chat. And that's why I've
always said, if this is true, this is what I
would do. But the fact is he did verbatim on
the first chat, and then he supposedly did this set
(03:52):
to his family immediately afterwards. That's probably the exact same data. Okay,
but you're right, I have not seen the actual chat.
For the second one, NBC reported and I reported it. Yeah,
And if I always say if it's true, it's.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Wrong, Well, okay, here's the problem. Here's what I'm getting
a lot of feedback on don relative to that is
that you seem eager to believe it and condemn him.
And I'm wondering if you are concerned at all that
you are now seeming to be the go to Republican
for the mainstream, largely leftist media whenever something controversial comes
(04:29):
up relative to Trump or the Defense Department.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Well, I just very I did this for thirty years
of a signals intelligence officer, I deployed four times. The
fact is he did put operational data on that first chat.
That's verifiable, and I'm when a guy denies it's wrong.
You know, we got millions of people in uniform, all
of us know what's wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Well, wouldn't you have to know, wouldn't wouldn't you have
to know on that chat what operation he was talking about.
There was no location given, there was no enemy mentioned.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
We're launching the f A teams at such and such
a time, and you put that chat in its fatality
with what Mike Waltz put in what the Vice President
was saying. I think it's pretty clear what's going on there.
And the Chinese and Russians aren't dumb, Yeah, you know
they're they're they're smart. Now if they didn't, if we
didn't know exactly what was on the first chat, I
(05:25):
probably be lost prone to uh two of us critical,
But these are we're dealing with service mends in women's lives.
When the flying missions over an enemy territory in two hours,
and he's got a no better. He is the Secretary Defense.
We would have fired a lieutenant for doing this. Gary,
(05:45):
what about it? I expect high standards from the Secretary
of Defense.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Rose Congress will what about this, which it speaks to
half of the issue. Uh, you clearly feel passionately about this,
You clearly have an expertise in this area. Why not
go to the National Security Advisor? Why not go to
the Vice President? Why not go to somebody in the
White House and make this claim rather than go public
(06:12):
with it and let them hear you out, let them
hear your explanation, because now they're just calling you nothing
more than a tool of the left, which is not productive.
Why not keep this more private and internal?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Well, I could be more private. I could be a
lot more public too, Jim, I got nineteen TV quests
the other day. I did one. I did do local.
I did do local TV because we're at multiple events,
but you know public I did one on Jake Tapper
was the one I did. But this is the problem.
We have so many people saying it's the shirts versus
(06:47):
the skins, saying you got to be totally loyal if
you're over here, going to be totally bashing if you're
on the other side.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, but for those people, it is for Jake Tapper
and those people, it is the shirts and the skins,
and they're going to spread this far and white quickly
before we go. Because I asked people for specifics one email,
I can't get to all of them. Robert wants to
know where you stand on the MS thirteen gang member
who was sent back to his home country of l Salvador.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Hey, I'm for sending gang members back home. They if
they're here illegally in their gang, sent them back home.
So I totally supported them.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
All right. Well, Congressman Don Bacon, thank you. Always good
to have you on Don down there in Montgomery, Alabama today. Well,
more time.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I think he's a general, he's a brigadier general. He
has credibility in military and matters. I can't believe I'd
argue with that. An important person in the White House
wouldn't listen to this
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.