Congress Has A Leak
Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan said Saturday that Congress is facing a serious and dangerous leak problem, siding with Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while also emphasizing that constitutional and legal safeguards must still be respected.
Speaking on Newsmax, Harrigan addressed Trump’s decision not to brief members of Congress before U.S. special forces carried out a high-risk operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
President Trump defended the move earlier Saturday, telling reporters that “Congress has a tendency to leak,” raising concerns that advance notice could have compromised the mission and endangered American lives.
Harrigan agreed with that assessment.
“I actually agree with the president,” Harrigan said. “There is a real problem with leaks in Congress. Some members have shown they cannot be trusted with sensitive information.”
Leaks Endanger Lives and National Security
Harrigan stressed that the issue goes far beyond political disagreements. According to the North Carolina congressman, leaks have repeatedly placed U.S. service members, intelligence personnel, and national security operations at risk.
“There are members who would leak for attention, for political purposes, or for causes that don’t align with protecting American freedom,” Harrigan said.
He warned that the desire for media exposure or partisan advantage has eroded trust between Congress and the executive branch, making it harder to conduct critical operations safely and effectively.
Legal Guardrails Still Apply
While backing Trump’s concerns, Harrigan made clear that frustration with leaks does not eliminate constitutional responsibilities or federal law.
He explained that when an operation involves intelligence authorities working alongside military forces—especially when U.S. troops are being secured—specific notification rules come into play.
“That falls under Title 50,” Harrigan said, referring to the section of U.S. law governing intelligence activities. “And Title 50 requires that at least the Gang of Eight be notified before a covert action is carried out.”
The Gang of Eight consists of the top Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, along with the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
Trump did not notify those leaders until the Venezuela operation was already underway.
Procedure Matters, Even in High-Risk Operations
Harrigan said those legal requirements exist to preserve accountability and should not be ignored, even when the stakes are extremely high.
“We’re talking about procedure. We’re talking about the law,” he said. “We need to be respectful of that.”
At the same time, Harrigan acknowledged the administration’s frustration and said he understands why Trump and Rubio exercised caution.
“Given the magnitude and sensitivity of this operation, I don’t rush to blame them,” Harrigan said. “But we have to fix this.”
A National Issue That Must Be Addressed
Harrigan concluded by saying the leak crisis must be confronted seriously if the country is to maintain both security and constitutional order.
“This is something we have to figure out as a nation,” he said. “We need to protect classified information, protect American lives, and still honor the law.”
