WASHINGTON, D.C. – A heated exchange unfolded on Capitol Hill as Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) challenged senior intelligence officials from the Trump administration over a controversial group chat on Signal, reportedly discussing U.S. military plans in Yemen.
The issue came into the spotlight after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed he was accidentally added to a Signal group chat involving high-ranking intelligence officials. The chat allegedly contained sensitive operational details, raising concerns about whether classified information was improperly shared.
Gabbard: “No Classified Material Was Shared”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard faced tough questions from Warner but refused to confirm whether she was a participant in the chat. “I’m not going to get into that,” she said repeatedly, adding that the matter was under internal review.
Warner pressed further, demanding access to the messages if, as claimed, they did not include classified information. “You can’t have it both ways,” he told Gabbard. “If it wasn’t classified, share it with the committee.”
Gabbard stood firm, stating, “There was no classified material that was shared.”
Ratcliffe Confirms Participation, Defends Use of Signal
Meanwhile, CIA Director John Ratcliffe openly confirmed his involvement in the group chat and defended the use of Signal, an encrypted messaging app, as a CIA-approved communication tool.
“When I was confirmed as CIA director, Signal was installed on my agency computer,” Ratcliffe explained. “I was briefed that it was authorized for work use, especially for secure conversations.”
He added that many CIA officers also use Signal and that the records management team had advised him on proper use.
Alleged Details Shared in the Chat
Goldberg, the journalist who received access by mistake, described the content of the chat as containing specific operational details, including planned strike targets in Yemen and the name of an intelligence officer—information typically considered highly sensitive or even classified.
This raised serious concerns among lawmakers and experts about whether the messages violated federal laws on classified materials.
Warner Points to Gabbard’s Own Statement on Leaks
Warner further highlighted a recent social media post by Gabbard, in which she said, “Unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such.”
Gabbard responded, distinguishing between a malicious leak and an accidental inclusion, like the Goldberg situation. “There’s a difference between inadvertent release versus careless and sloppy, malicious leaks,” she said.
She maintained that, in this case, no classified content was leaked, and insisted the administration remains committed to protecting national security.