Bret Baier Asks Mike Johnson If There Will Be ‘Punishments’ for Nancy Mace for Discussing Classified Briefing

Fox News host Bret Baier asked House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Thursday if there would be “punishments” for Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) after she posted about a classified briefing on Iran.

Johnson joined Special Report to discuss the ongoing military operation in Iran and the possibility of putting U.S. troops on the ground to end the almost month-long conflict. The subject– and the Pentagon briefing itself– has been a point of tension within the Republican party, with some calling out the department for its lack of transparency.

Mace said on Wednesday that she walked out of a House Armed Services briefing on Iran, posting a series of comments heavily implying that the administration would send troops.

“Just walked out of a House Armed Services briefing on Iran. Let me repeat: I will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing,” she wrote.

Mace added in a later post, “The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives we were briefed on today in the House Armed Services Committee. This gap is deeply troubling. The longer this war continues, the faster it will lose the support of Congress and the American people.”

Baier asked Johnson about the congresswoman’s comments, claiming some questioned whether Congress should be briefed on the war at all if “Congress can’t keep a secret.”

“Congresswoman Nancy Mace came out of a classified briefing and seemed to reveal some of what was reportedly discussed about possible ground operations in Iran,” said Baier. “There’s people who ask, why should the administration brief Congress when Congress can’t keep a secret? Are there any punishments for Congresswoman Mace in this instance?”

Johnson claimed that leaks of classified information were a “problem,” telling Baier that while “there is a breach of trust here,” he was not suggesting the congresswoman leaked classified information.

“It is not lawful to leak classified information. I’m not suggesting that’s what Nancy did there, but it is a problem. I mean, we had a big briefing for all House members in the congressional auditorium, and it’s a lower level of classification because some of these things are so sensitive. And there is a breach of trust here,” he said. “And that’s a problem for the institution and something we need to address in the long run because we’ve got to get back to these– secrecy is important, especially at a time of international conflict.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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