1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

This is bad policy, it is wrong, and it may be illegal to put journalists or other people in harm’s way as a decoy without their knowledge or consent. The reports that journalists aboard Air Force One were unknowingly placed in a potentially dangerous situation during a secret flight operation are deeply troubling. They should never have been used as unwitting participants in a security operation involving a perceived Iranian threat. The journalists have said they accepted the risks inherent in covering the President, but they did not consent to being used as a decoy or being kept unaware of a significant change in the security circumstances surrounding their flight. If they had been informed, they could have respected legitimate security restrictions while still making an informed decision about the risks they were being asked to assume. Using people as unwitting human shields or decoys is unacceptable. Congress should investigate whether laws, regulations, or established security protocols were violated and whether anyone in the administration authorized or directed this operation. If President Trump knowingly authorized putting journalists in unnecessary danger for security or political purposes, that raises serious questions about his fitness to serve and whether impeachment proceedings should be considered. Please investigate this matter and hold those responsible accountable.