Important Details About the Trump Administration’s Signal Chat Leak Scandal
A journalist for The Atlantic found himself mistakenly included in a Trump administration group chat where officials discussed plans for renewed U.S. strikes on Yemen.
President Donald Trump’s top national security officials are under scrutiny this week following a journalist’s report that he was added to an encrypted group chat where they seemed to be talking about launching new strikes in Yemen.
Starting on March 15, U.S. forces commenced airstrikes and missile attacks against Yemen’s Houthis, who are classified as a terrorist group by the U.S. government. Over the past 14 months, the Houthis have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea with drone and missile attacks, citing ongoing Israeli actions against Hamas in Gaza as the reason for their attacks.
Goldberg shared excerpts from the chat messages and described the overall discussion that revolved around the plans to strike Yemen targets.
During the incident, an individual identified as “Michael Waltz,” believed to be Trump’s national security adviser, added Goldberg to the chat channel. The conversation in the group reportedly included details about the timing, targets, and weapons to be used for the strikes in Yemen.
Goldberg also mentioned that other participants in the chat were nominating representatives for subsequent discussions related to the strikes. He alleged that a Signal user believed to be Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed specific information about the upcoming strikes.
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Another portion of the conversation involved users suggesting representatives for further discussions regarding the Yemen strikes. Goldberg reported that a user, possibly CIA Director John Ratcliffe, mentioned a CIA employee. To protect the employee’s identity, Goldberg opted not to disclose their name.
According to a spokesperson for the National Security Council speaking to The Epoch Times, the conversation described by Goldberg appears to be genuine.
“We are looking into how an unintended number found its way into the chat,” the National Security Council representative stated.
What Is Signal?
After the leaked Signal chat, there has been debate about whether the private messaging app is suitable for the type of sensitive discussions that occurred.
During a Senate floor speech, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the security of the app, stating that it isn’t secure enough for the military matters discussed in Goldberg’s article.
“This situation demands a thorough investigation into how this happened, the consequences it caused, and how we can prevent such breaches of national security in the future if our military secrets are being shared over unsecured messaging apps,” Schumer remarked.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (L), accompanied by Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, speaks during a Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing in Washington on March 25, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 25, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who Goldberg claimed was involved in the Signal chat, clarified that Signal was authorized for use on his work computer and briefed him on its accepted uses.
“One of the early briefings I received… was from the CIA records management team about the permissible use of Signal for work purposes. It is allowed. This practice was in place prior to the Biden administration,” Ratcliffe explained.
No Classified Information Disclosed: Officials
The Trump administration officials linked to the Signal chat refuted Goldberg’s assertion that their conversation contained highly sensitive information.
During a visit to Hawaii, Hegseth denied discussions about war plans in the chat. He also questioned Goldberg’s credibility and criticized his coverage of Trump’s first term.
At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, both Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who was also reportedly part of the Signal chat, maintained that no classified information was shared during the chat that Goldberg witnessed. They stated that they were unaware of any conversations about the specifics of the Yemen strikes.
Ratcliffe dismissed the suggestion that he disclosed sensitive details about a CIA employee, clarifying that the individual named in the chat was not a covert agent.
During an interview with The Bulwark, Goldberg hinted at the possibility of releasing more information about the Signal chat to authenticate his reporting.
“Perhaps in the near future, I can let you know about plans to have this material publicly vetted,” Goldberg told host Tim Miller.
Calls for Investigation Increase
While the National Security Council investigates how Goldberg was added to the chat, there are calls for an external probe into the matter.
“Congress should conduct a thorough investigation to understand what occurred, why it happened, and how we can prevent such national security breaches in the future,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated at a press conference on Monday.
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), joined by other House Democrats, arrives for a press conference in Washington on Feb. 6, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
Senate Majority Leader John Thune mentioned that the Senate will investigate the incident.
“We’re just learning about it, but obviously, we need to get to the bottom of this and understand what happened,” Thune stated.
During Tuesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Sens. Mike Rounds and Todd Young indicated that they had queries regarding the Signal chat but would reserve them for a closed-door session.
Trump Stands by Waltz
Despite Goldberg’s report implicating Waltz in adding him to the Yemen Signal chat, President Trump has stood by his national security adviser.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump expressed confidence in Waltz, emphasizing the success of the U.S. strikes on the Houthis despite the chat leak.
Trump highlighted that Signal is widely used by government employees and claimed that no classified information was shared in that particular channel.
The president assigned blame for the leak to a flaw in the technology and hinted at potential reduced usage of the app by officials.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump and U.S. Ambassadors in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 25, 2025. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
“I don’t think it’s something we’re looking forward to using again; we may be forced to use it. You may be in a situation where you need speed as opposed to gross safety, and you may be forced to use it, but generally speaking, I think we probably won’t be using it very much,” he stated.
Trump also suggested that an unnamed aide of Waltz added Goldberg to the chat.
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump remarked. “It was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there.”
Waltz stated on Tuesday that he was unaware of how Goldberg was included in the chat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
