Trump pick for Joint Chiefs chair tells Senate 'element of surprise' should be guarded amid Signal chat leak

Blumenthal charged that the "element of surprise was very likely lost" as a result of the leak. 

"Because of your extraordinary service, general, I can't imagine anyone better qualified to answer this question," Blumenthal said to Caine. "Knowing what you do, about the substance of that conversation, how would you feel?"

"Well, Senator, I stand by what I said before. I think we all can agree that we need to always protect the element of surprise," Caine said.

"And that element of surprise was very likely lost, if there had been any intercept by one of our enemies or adversaries that could be conveyed to the Houthis. Correct?" Blumenthal asked. 

"That's a little bit of a hypothetical question, but, I am thankful, as always, that we we protect our servicemen and women who are going into combat operation," Caine replied.

Hirono questioned Caine with a similar hypothetical but went a step further and asked if he would "just let this matter drop," as she claimed the Trump administration is doing.

"It's really not a hypothetical. It is what is confronting this administration," Hirono said.

"Given the fact that the chairman and ranking member have asked for an investigation, I don't want to comment on the particulars," Caine relented as Hirono hounded for an answer. "I do want to stay at the strategic altitude and say that we should always preserve the element of surprise."

"Well, Senator, you know, I was not in that chat," Caine responded.

"I know that that's why I asked if you were," Reed said.

Caine asserted that he has "always communicated proper information in the proper channels."