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Senior Republicans Demand Probe into Signal Chat Leak Amid Political Tensions
Concerns are mounting within the Republican Party as top senators call for a thorough investigation into the recent Signal messaging leak. The incident, which inadvertently included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in a confidential group chat, has ignited fears of a potential "significant political problem" if not addressed adequately.
"This is what happens when you don’t really have your act together," Alaska Republican senator Lisa Murkowski stated to the Hill, highlighting the gravity of the situation. The leak involved sensitive discussions among a group of senior national security officials using Signal, an encrypted messaging app, where they deliberated plans for military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Following the disclosure on Monday, Trump administration officials faced backlash not only from Democrats but now also from Republicans. The Atlantic further complicated matters by releasing additional messages that detailed attack specifics, including target descriptions and operational timings.
During testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe were questioned about the leak. They asserted that "no classified material" had been shared within the chat. Nevertheless, Republicans are urging for broader investigations into the matter.
According to a report by the Hill, leading Republican senators are pushing various committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, to examine the leak. Mississippi senator Roger Wicker, chair of the armed services committee, informed the Hill that he plans to request the defense department’s inspector general to look into the scandal.
National security adviser Mike Waltz, who allegedly added Jeffrey Goldberg to the group chat, acknowledged his role by taking "full responsibility" during a Fox News interview on Tuesday night. However, he did not elaborate on the mechanics of the leak and criticized Goldberg, referring to him as "the bottom-scum of journalists." Waltz explained that he had intended to add a different contact to the Signal group, inadvertently selecting Goldberg's number instead.
"Of course I didn’t see this loser in the group, it looked like someone else," Waltz remarked during the appearance.
Signal is a messaging app founded in 2012 that allows users to transmit texts, photos, videos, and documents, as well as make audio and video calls. It uses end-to-end encryption, which protects messages against hackers and cyberattacks via an extra layer of security. Several other privacy features, such as the ability to automatically delete messages, have made it popular among communities such as journalists and activists that frequently deal with sensitive information.
Within the Republican ranks, divisions are emerging over how to handle Waltz's involvement. Traditional, hawkish Republicans view him as an asset in advocating for a more assertive foreign policy and support his continued role in the administration. Conversely, Trump-aligned Republicans like JD Vance oppose this aggressive stance, leading to internal conflicts. Currently, Waltz appears secure in his position, with Donald Trump endorsing him as a "very good man."
Despite ongoing congressional probes, significant uncertainties remain regarding the origins of the leak, as Waltz and Trump offer conflicting accounts in separate interviews. Waltz maintained that a staffer was not responsible for the breach, while Trump suggested otherwise.
"What it was, we believe, is somebody that was on the line with permission, somebody that worked with Mike Waltz at a lower level, had Goldberg’s number or call through the app, and somehow this guy ended up on the call," Trump explained. His remarks were ambiguous, particularly since the incident involved a text chat rather than a phone call.
The reliance on Signal for internal government communications has come under scrutiny. American Oversight, a non-profit organization, filed a lawsuit against members of the Trump administration on Tuesday afternoon, arguing that the use of the app violated the Federal Records Act. The group is seeking a federal court order to compel officials to preserve the messages "to prevent the unlawful destruction of federal records."
In response to the scandal, Trump remarked during a White House event announcing new tariffs on Wednesday afternoon, "I think it’s all a witch-hunt." He further criticized the Signal platform, calling it "defective" and "not very good."
While visiting Jamaica, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the issue, telling reporters in Kingston, "Someone made a big mistake and added a journalist."
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting