Two top intelligence officials from the Trump Administration defended the use of a private group chat for high-level military planning during a heated Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday. The session, which had been scheduled prior to recent revelations, was dominated by concerns over national security after reports surfaced that senior officials had discussed U.S. military operations on an unsecured messaging app.
The controversy erupted following a report by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, which revealed that Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and other senior officials used Signal, a commercial messaging app, to coordinate U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi militants. The group chat inadvertently included a journalist, raising alarms about the handling of sensitive military information.
During the hearing, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe faced tough questioning from Senate Democrats. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) condemned the use of an unsecured platform, calling it “sloppy, careless, and incompetent.” While Gabbard refused to confirm her involvement in the chat, she and Ratcliffe insisted that no classified information had been shared. Gabbard maintained that the discussion complied with internal protocols, stating, “There was no classified material that was shared.”
Goldberg’s report, however, suggested otherwise, citing details in the chat regarding weapons packages, strike timing, and target locations. Ratcliffe defended the practice, asserting that “Signal is a permissible work-use application” within the CIA, provided that formal decisions are recorded through official government channels. He and Gabbard agreed to an audit of their communications after pressure from Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The White House sought to downplay the incident, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisting that “no war plans were shared.” President Donald Trump also dismissed concerns, calling the situation his administration’s “only glitch in two months.” He expressed confidence in Waltz, stating, “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.”
Despite these reassurances, the issue sparked outrage among Democrats, with some calling for resignations. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) denounced the officials’ actions as an “embarrassment,” while Warner argued that Waltz and Hegseth should step down. Former Air Force Brigadier General Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) stopped short of demanding resignations but warned that the breach was reckless, stating, “There’s no doubt that Russia and China saw this stuff within hours.”
The hearing also highlighted broader concerns over security protocols within the Trump Administration. Intelligence experts warned that using any unclassified platform to discuss military operations was a significant breach of protocol, regardless of encryption. The controversy reached a boiling point when Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) pressed Ratcliffe on the severity of the mistake. In a tense exchange, Ratcliffe initially dismissed the incident but later conceded that adding a journalist to the chat was an “inadvertent mistake.”
With national security concerns mounting, the administration faces increasing pressure to reassess its protocols for handling sensitive information. The fallout from this breach may have long-lasting implications for the credibility of the administration’s security measures and its relationships with intelligence agencies.
