Signal-gate: White House defends and downplays security breach involving Atlantic journalist

The Trump administration scrambled on Tuesday to contain the fallout after a magazine journalist was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat where top US officials discussed sensitive military plans, including potential strikes on Yemen's Houthi forces.

President Donald Trump defended his national security adviser, Michael Waltz, who created the Signal group and inadvertently included Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg.

While the White House denied that any classified information was shared, critics in Congress called the incident “reckless” and demanded resignations.

At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe testified that no secrets were disclosed, though both faced sharp questioning from Democratic lawmakers.

“It’s hard to believe weapons and timing of strikes weren’t classified,” said Senator Angus King, expressing scepticism. Senator Ron Wyden called the chat “obviously dangerous” and called for the resignations of Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Goldberg, who reported the incident, described the chat as containing operational details about targets, weapons, and the sequencing of attacks on Yemen. He declined to publish specifics but said the conversation revealed serious lapses in protocol.

Trump, speaking at a White House meeting, said he supported Waltz, describing the episode as “embarrassing but simple.” He added, “We’ve looked into it. No classified information was shared.” Trump also renewed his criticism of The Atlantic, calling Goldberg a “sleaze bag” and the magazine “a failing publication.”

Despite public outrage, the White House has refused to confirm whether any disciplinary action will be taken. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Goldberg of sensationalism, while Communications Director Steven Cheung called the reaction “faux outrage.”

The Signal group reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other top officials. The chat, according to Goldberg, also contained discussions on whether economic gains could be extracted from Europe in exchange for military action.

Vice President Vance, in messages quoted by Goldberg, expressed reluctance to “bail Europe out again,” prompting Hegseth to reply: “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.”

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner pressed for the release of the chat logs, arguing that if they were not classified, transparency was essential. “Why not release them now?” Warner asked during the hearing.

The administration has faced criticism for conducting such sensitive discussions over Signal, an encrypted but non-government messaging app. Experts warned that even secure apps can be compromised if the device itself is not secure.

“Signal isn’t the issue. If a phone is breached, the data is exposed,” said cybersecurity expert Rocky Cole.

In response to the growing backlash, the administration promised to review internal communication protocols. Still, questions remain about whether proper national security procedures were followed and if the incident breached federal record-keeping laws.

The House of Representatives will continue probing the matter during Wednesday’s "Worldwide Threats" hearing, where Gabbard and Ratcliffe are expected to testify again.