Top Trump administration officials pushed back on accusations of mishandling classified information during a Senate hearing this week, following explosive reports that a group Signal chat may have exposed secret U.S. military operations.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe both denied that any classified material was shared in the now-infamous chat, which included discussions about U.S. strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen. Their testimony comes after growing calls from Senate Democrats to investigate whether the chat posed a national security risk.
Gabbard and Ratcliffe insisted that the messages did not contain classified information, directly challenging those pushing the narrative that war plans were leaked. The scrutiny stems from the discovery that a journalist was inadvertently added to the Signal group, prompting widespread concern over operational security and the use of encrypted apps by high-level officials.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who was also reportedly in the chat, addressed the controversy bluntly: “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” He also took aim at the journalist behind the original report, calling him “deceitful and highly discredited.”
As fallout from the hearing continues, pressure is mounting on Congress to clarify protocol for secure communication among senior officials and to assess the broader implications of how sensitive national security conversations are conducted in the digital age.
This is a developing story.