Alarmism and hyperbole are nothing new in politics.
Whether it was the Bush administration’s warnings of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or the histrionics about the impending dawn of fascism if Donald Trump becomes president again, exaggerations and hyperbole have long been a part of political discourse.
But as Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) showed Wednesday, alarmist rhetoric can have severe consequences.
Turner, who heads the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, published a cryptic statement about a “serious national security threat” and requested that President Joe Biden declassify the information so that it could openly be discussed.
As we have learned since, it appears that the “serious national security threat” was news that Russia wants to put a nuclear weapon in space, and while this is certainly a problem that requires attention, it is not the kind of dire threat that Turner’s statement indicated.
Some have speculated that Turner released the statement in a bid to protect the widespread warrantless surveillance of FISA, but even if Turner’s intentions were entirely altruistic, it is still a gross error of judgment.
For someone in such a prominent position in Congress, this kind of alarmist rhetoric is unbecoming of an elected official who is supposed to project calm and level-headedness in the face of serious situations.
Instead, it fell to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to calm the hysteria sown by Turner’s statement.
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“We just want to assure everyone steady hands are at the wheel. We’re working on it, and there’s no need for alarm,” the speaker said.
Turner should face consequences for his alarmism, whether or not it was motivated toward a specific policy goal. He should, at minimum, be removed from his position atop the Intelligence Committee. His actions prove he lacks the temperament to lead it.