Leaked Signal Chat Sparks Capitol Hill Firestorm
Top U.S. intelligence officials were back in the hot seat Wednesday, answering questions from lawmakers about a major security blunder — a leaked Signal group chat discussing U.S. military plans in Yemen.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and others testified before the House Intelligence Committee. The focus: how a journalist ended up in a private chat between high-ranking national security officials.
The group had been using Signal, a secure messaging app, to talk about possible airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. The situation became public when The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, said he was accidentally added to the group by Michael Waltz, the national security adviser.
Goldberg revealed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had shared detailed war plans in that chat — before the strikes even happened. Hegseth didn’t testify, but some Democrats demanded he step down.
At the hearing, Gabbard tried to ease concerns.
“It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added to a Signal chat with high-level national security principals, having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the strike,” she said.
She insisted nothing classified was shared:
“There were no sources, methods, locations, or war plans that were shared.”
But Democrats pushed back.
I’ve seen things much less sensitive be presented to us with high classification,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas. “And to say that it isn’t is a lie to the country.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois also pointed out that military plans and weapons systems are supposed to be considered classified under both an executive order and a Pentagon manual.
Meanwhile, the White House tried to brush off the incident.
“Look, it is what it is,” said presidential adviser Alina Habba. “At the end of the day, this is — in my opinion — something that they’re making a big to-do about nothing. A reporter that is trying to get clout.”
This was Gabbard and Ratcliffe’s second day in a row facing lawmakers. A day earlier, they were grilled by Senate Democrats who also questioned their handling of the leak.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia challenged their claim that nothing classified was shared:
“If there was no classified material, share it with the committee,” Warner said. “You can’t have it both ways.”
