Republican Representative Mike Turner has drawn sharp opposition from his fellow GOP lawmakers. This came after he warned about a “serious national security threat” on Wednesday, February 14.
But Rep. Andy Ogles didn’t take the pronouncement kindly and has written to House Speaker Mike Johnson, asking him to call Turner to order. Turner is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and is privy to sensitive security information.
Moreover, Turner had issued a statement addressed to President Joe Biden urging him to declassify information that would expose a “serious” national security threat. The letter left Americans wondering if the nation was under attack.
A part of the letter read, “I am requesting that President Biden declassify all information relating to this threat…” Why? “…so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat,” the letter reasoned.
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But Rep. Andy Ogles wasn’t impressed. He believed that the intentions behind Turner’s declaration were far from noble. In response, Ogles wrote a letter to the House Speaker to voice his reservations.
Joe Khalil of NewsNation was the one who posted Ogles’s letter. The letter condemned Turner’s declaration in no uncertain terms. “This revelation by the Chairman was done with reckless disregard of the implications and consequences said information would have on geopolitics, domestic and foreign markets, or the well-being and psyche of the American people,” the letter read.
“This act constituted poor judgment at a minimum and a complete breach of trust influenced by the pursuit of a political agenda at a maximum,” Ogles wrote.
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Ogles revealed what he believed were the true intentions of Turner’s statements. “In hindsight, it has become clear that the intent was not to ensure the safety of our homeland and the American people,” he penned. “But rather to ensure additional funding for Ukraine and a passage of an unreformed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA),” Ogles added.
However, it is public knowledge that GOP lawmakers are sharply divided over their support for war. Many have even called on President Biden to discontinue aid to Ukraine instead of focusing on domestic needs. Turner belongs to the faction that believes the support of Ukraine’s war effort is in America’s best interest.
A short while after Turner’s letter became public knowledge, reporters confronted Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, about the “threat.”
In his response, Sullivan expressed surprise over Rep. Turner’s statements. Sullivan stated that the administration, Turner, and intelligence and defense professionals had already set up a meeting to discuss the issue.
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“Americans understand that there is a range of threats and challenges that we are dealing with every single day,” Sullivan said. “We have to contend with them in a way where we ensure the ultimate security of the American people,” he further added.
Ogles’ letter also urged Speaker Johnson to kickstart an investigation into Turner’s utterances. In response to questions over the issue, Johnson told reporters, “I want to assure the American people, there is no need for public alarm.”
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