Trump and his officials defend Michael Waltz over confidential chat breach

Donald Trump’s administration is facing growing scrutiny after revelations that a group of top officials used the Signal app to discuss plans for airstrikes in Yemen. Trump defended his National Security Adviser and the White House has tried to downplay the incident. However, lawmakers from both parties have voiced alarm about possible lapses in security.

The chat, which accidentally included a journalist, invited by Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz has caused many in Washington to question the handling of sensitive info.

Trump spoke to NBC News on Tuesday and defended his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who was at the center of the Signal chat. The president said, “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” 

Trump also described the episode as “the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one.” According to the president, the journalist’s presence in the group chat had “no impact at all” on the operation in Yemen.

The chat reportedly included Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Vice President JD Vance, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Some officials have insisted no classified information was transmitted, but critics argue that planning details for bombing a foreign militia are often considered sensitive or secret.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that “No ‘war plans’ were discussed” and “No classified material was sent to the thread.” She added that the White House Counsel’s Office had “provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump’s top officials to communicate as safely and efficiently as possible.”

Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin. Here are the facts about his latest story:

1. No “war plans” were discussed.

2. No classified material was sent to the thread.

3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different…

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 25, 2025

Democrats want Trump’s officials to resign over the mishap

Democrats have seized on the story, saying it shows a careless attitude toward national security. Senator Mark Warner, vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, said on Tuesday that this was “one more example of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior, particularly towards classified information.”

Warner added, “It’s also just mind-boggling to me that all of these senior folks were on this line and nobody bothered to even check [who else was on the line]. Security hygiene 1.0.1. Who are all the names? Who are they?” He also said, “If this was the case of a military officer or an intelligence officer and they had this kind of behavior they would be fired.”

Vice President Vance, who was part of the group, reportedly called the strikes a “mistake” and said they “amounted to a bailout of Europe,” though he did not explain that claim further. Some observers note that Vance’s remark suggests internal disagreement over the military action in Yemen.

The incident has embarrassed the Trump administration because it exposed how a major military operation was discussed on a platform not meant for highly sensitive data. Goldberg has told reporters he did not publish the exact targets or timing from what he saw, saying that could harm national security.

He also responded to Hegseth’s charge that he “peddles in garbage,” telling MSNBC, “I haven’t seen this kind of unserious behavior before. And the secretary of defense, all due respect, in that presentation seems like a person who’s unserious and is trying to deflect from the fact that he participated in a conversation on an unclassified commercial messaging app that he probably shouldn’t have participated in.”

Republicans are divided over the issue. While many in the party have stood by Waltz and noted that Trump said it was a small slip-up, a few have openly criticized the mishandling of information. 

Congressman Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, told CNN, “They intentionally put highly classified information on an unclassified device. I would have lost my security clearance in the Air Force for this and for a lot less. I will guarantee you, 99.99% with confidence, Russia and China are monitoring those two phones.” Nick LaLota, a Republican congressman from New York, told Politico, “At minimum, it’s totally sloppy.”

The National Security Council, in a statement on Monday, said it recognized the “authentic” nature of the message thread and was “reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”

Trump’s top officials deny that any sensitive info was leaked

During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and FBI head Kash Patel were pressed by democrats over the Signal scandal. Gabbard insisted, “There was no classified information in that Signal group chat.” Ratcliffe made a similar claim, saying, “My communications… in a Signal message group were entirely permissible and lawful and did not include classified information.” He added that senior officials were allowed to use Signal, though he did not address whether it was suitable for sharing details about a bombing plan.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, they would agree to an “audit” on whether they used Signal or another messaging platform to share classified information. Ratcliffe explained that the Signal app had been loaded on his CIA work computer when he started and was permitted as a communication tool for work. 

Sen. Mark Warner reminded the panel of a separate event in January, when the CIA, following a presidential order, sent an unclassified email to the Office of Personnel Management that listed the first names and initialized last names of new hires at the agency. Mark Warner called this pattern “reckless” and “sloppy” and labeled the Signal fiasco part of “a pattern we’re seeing too often repeated.”

Sen. Angus King pressed Gabbard about whether the timing, targets, and weapons for strikes in Yemen are usually considered classified. King said, “It’s hard for me to believe that targets and timing and weapons would not have been classified.” 

The chairman of the committee, Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, did not mention the Signal leak in his opening remarks. His GOP colleagues focused questions on drug cartels and China, leaving the chat topic for the Democrats and a few Republican critics. There has been no clear sign that Congress will take further action, though some have suggested that new rules are needed to prevent unintentional disclosures.

It is still unclear if Waltz will resign or if Trump will press him to leave. For now, the president has signaled full support. The White House continues to insist that no laws were broken, calling the chat an unfortunate mistake but not a threat to national security. 

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