Trump dismisses Signal chat leak as intelligence chiefs downplay breach

US President Donald Trump and his top intelligence officials have downplayed concerns over a security breach in which a journalist was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat where senior officials discussed planned US airstrikes in Yemen, BBC reported. 

During a tense Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe insisted that no classified information had been disclosed in the chat. However, Democratic lawmakers strongly criticised the officials, calling the incident an “embarrassment” and a breach of national security.

Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to the 18-member Signal chat, reportedly by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz or one of his aides. Goldberg initially thought the messages were a hoax but realised their authenticity when the Yemen airstrikes took place as described.

The incident, now being referred to as “Signalgate,” has led to a lawsuit and raised serious questions about why senior US officials used a civilian messaging app for sensitive discussions. Some 53 people were killed in the 15 March airstrikes, which targeted Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The raids have continued since then, including a new round of attacks on Tuesday morning.

The controversy overshadowed the original purpose of the Senate hearing, which was meant to focus on drug cartels and human trafficking.

When pressed, Ratcliffe denied that operational details such as weapons, targets, or attack timings were shared in the chat. 

Gabbard also insisted that there was a difference between an “inadvertent release” and a “malicious leak” of sensitive information.

Trump has dismissed concerns over the breach, calling it a “glitch” with “no impact at all” on military operations. He also defended Waltz, saying the adviser had “learned a lesson” but was a “good man.” 

At a White House event, Waltz criticised Goldberg, accusing him of trying to create a scandal rather than focusing on Trump’s administration successes.

However, security experts argue that discussing military strategy on an unsecured platform was a reckless lapse in protocol. The nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight has filed a lawsuit against officials involved in the chat, arguing that they violated the Federal Records Act by setting messages to auto-delete instead of preserving them as required by law.

Meanwhile, lawmakers have called for a full investigation into the breach. Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated that he wants the investigation to be bipartisan and that full transcripts of the group chat should be reviewed. 

Senator Jon Ossoff described the incident as “utterly unprofessional,” stating that there had been no apology or acknowledgment of the gravity of the mistake.

With the controversy growing, the debate continues over the security risks of using commercial messaging apps for high-level government discussions. 

The National Security Agency had previously warned against Signal’s vulnerabilities, adding another layer of scrutiny to the administration’s handling of classified information.