Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) called the Inspector General report on the “so-called scandal” surrounding War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of a Signal chat a “nothingburger” on Sunday.

On ABC’s “This Week,” host George Stephanopoulos asked Schmitt about the Signal issue, quoting the Inspector General report.

“Here’s a quote from the Department of Defense Inspector General report on that release of sensitive information over the Signal app. According to the inspector general, ‘the Secretary sent information identifying the quantity and strike times of manned U.S. aircraft over hostile territory over an unapproved, unsecure network approximately two to four hours before the execution of those strikes. The Secretary’s actions created a risk to operational security that could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots.’ Isn’t that a concern?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“I reviewed the IG report, and it’s a nothingburger. The fact is, there was allegations that this was confidential or classified information. … It wasn’t. There was no operational integrity problems,” Schmitt said, going on to note that both operations Rough Rider and Midnight Hammer were “executed flawlessly.”

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“There’s no confidential or classified information that was disclosed,” the senator added before pivoting to highlight the legitimate scandal from the Biden administration in which former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent an undisclosed medical procedure without notifying the president.

“Literally, we had a Secretary of Defense that wasn’t on duty, and nobody knew about it. Like, that’s a real problem. This was a nothingburger, and that’s what the IG report that I read last week in the SCIF indicated.”

Stephanopoulos pressed further, but Schmitt reiterated that no classified information was disclosed, and that Signal was “approved by the U.S. government for communications” before the “so-called scandal started.”

“But I think the bigger issue was, you know, in the previous administration, you had real operational risk, you had a department, you had a Secretary of Defense that was incapacitated in a surgery, and nobody knew about it for days. That’s a problem,” Schmitt concluded.

Sen. Eric Schmitt tells George Stephanopoulos that he reviewed the IG’s report on the alleged release of sensitive information on the Signal messaging app: “There’s no confidential or classified information that was disclosed … This was a nothing burger.” pic.twitter.com/ZNfL4aWoP6

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 7, 2025

A twice-deported illegal immigrant with a rap sheet allegedly brutally stabbed a man on a Charlotte, North Carolina, train.

Honduran illegal immigrant Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia is accused of stabbing a man with a “large fixed-blade knife” on a light rail train Friday, leaving him in critical condition, according to the Charlotte Observer.

He was first deported from the United States on March 9, 2018, before he crossed the border illegally again and was removed in 2021, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Solorzano-Garcia snuck back in undetected for a third time on an unknown date.

He was previously arrested for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, destroying evidence, resisting arrest, using a false ID, and has convictions for robbery and illegal re-entry.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it a “heinous” attack, saying that her agency has taken action to ensure he faces justice.

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“ICE lodged an arrest detainer to ensure Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia is not released back into North Carolina neighborhoods,” Noem said. “Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the county will honor the detainer since they have a history of not cooperating with ICE.”

“Under President Trump, ICE is being unleashed to ensure public safety for all Americans. Make no mistake: We will not rest until every depraved criminal illegal alien is removed from our communities,” Noem said.

Both President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy commented on the incident:

🚨An illegal immigrant who was previously deported is now accused of attempted murder for stabbing a man on the Charlotte Light Rail this week🚨

This is just MONTHS AFTER the horrific murder of Iryna Zarutska.@POTUS is right… ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We need justice NOW! pic.twitter.com/rnQBer1W3L

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) December 7, 2025

The latest stabbing comes just four months after the unprovoked murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, in Charlotte.

Decarlos Brown Jr. allegedly stabbed Zarutska repeatedly in the neck as she was commuting from her job at a local pizza joint.

Last month, the Trump administration deployed federal immigration agents to Charlotte, leading to hundreds of arrests of illegal immigrants in response to local sanctuary policies.