ALEX BUCKNAM
Editor in Chief
In Washington, D.C., The House of Representatives adjourned in mid-September to finish campaigning and President Donald Trump has claimed he thinks leakers should be shot.
On Sept. 16, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., adjourned the House and pushed all future votes until the next legislative day in November.
This comes after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The motion to introduce these articles is a privilege, meaning Johnson has two legislative days to act on it.
The legislative day on Sept. 17 would have forced Johnson to hold a vote on impeaching Hegseth.
The legislative days after Sept. 17 were already canceled due to a decision made on Sept. 3 to send congressional members back to their districts to campaign.
Massie and other congressional members stated that this seemed suspicious, mentioning why a vote was being canceled when the House would adjourn the following day.
When asked why he canceled the last legislative day before the election, Johnson stated, “The House has done its work.” He continued, “It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people.”
Massie’s articles of impeachment were introduced on Sept. 16, which would have required the speaker to act on them by Sept. 18.
However, since the day was canceled and there were no scheduled days until after the midterm election, the first day Congress returns to a legislative session it would force Johnson to act on the articles.
Johnson mentioned that rumors that he purposely canceled the last legislative session is a publicity stunt and that the articles of impeachment would be tabled until November.
The 120th Congress does not take office until January, meaning the current Congress would handle this vote.
Johnson mentioned that if the Senate were to pass key bills, he would call the House into an emergency session, giving everyone 48 hours.
This too would force Johnson to hold a vote on the impeachments.
Trump claims leakers should be shot
On Oct. 14, during a rally, President Donald Trump stated that people who leak military information should be shot.
Trump was referring to a leak that gave out information of what time planes were leaving to conduct a raid.
Trump called Gen. Dan Caine to talk about options and whether to change the time.
Trump then went on to say that he thinks “leakers should be shot.” Trump continued, “In the old days we used to shoot leakers, you know, when they leaked what time you were going to attack a country.”
It is unclear what operation Trump was referring to, though it sounded like he was mentioning the 2025 strikes on Iran.
Following the comments that leakers should be shot, Trump pointed to the press box and claimed that the press sitting there was almost as bad as leakers. “They leak false information, that makes them leakers.”
As of Oct. 16, Trump has not issued a statement on his comments.
This isn’t the first time Trump has claimed that leakers should be shot.
During his first term, Alyssa Farah Griffin, a White House official during Trump’s first term, told a Mediaite podcast that she heard Trump talk about how a staff member who leaked information should be executed.
The last executions that happened because of a person leaking military information took place in January 1953, when husband and wife Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were put to death in the electric chair.
The Rosenbergs were convicted of leading a spy ring that gave highly classified U.S. nuclear and military intelligence to the Soviet Union.
Trump claiming leakers should be shot comes after he approved Hegseth request for the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, to be livestreamed.
Hasan is the first person to be killed by firing squad since 1945.
On Oct. 15, Trump announced the execution would no longer be livestreamed.
He has also stated that the live stream would be a “strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with terrorists and SCUM,” Trump continued “many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.”