Donald Trump’s administration remains under fire over the alarming security breach that saw Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, added by mistake to a Signal group chat in which the president’s most senior security officials discussed upcoming military action.
The magazine published their text exchange in full on Wednesday after the administration denied classified information was compromised.
Trump said his National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has nothing to apologize for and has attempted to shift the blame towards an unnamed “lower level” White House employee instead, despite Waltz himself saying he takes “full responsibility” for the disaster.
Also swept up in the scandal centered on an operation targeting Houthi positions in Yemen are Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance. Hegseth shared strike times and other details in the chat and is facing calls for his resignation from Democrats. The White House is pushing back by claiming there is a difference between “attack plans” and “war plans.”
Two members of the chat, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday and were extensively grilled on the breach. They were back before the equivalent House committee this morning.
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Key Points
- The Atlantic publishes Trump administration’s Houthi attack plans in full
- Trump shifts blame for Signalgate texts onto mystery ‘lower level’ White House employee
- Mike Waltz says he takes ‘full responsibility’ for leaked chat
- Trump claims ‘billionaires on the left’ partly to blame for violence against Tesla
- President signs executive order calling for proof of American citizenship to vote
Full story: Trump responds to latest round texts published in Signal text scandal
16:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has claimed it is “not a big deal” that a journalist was added to a Signal group chat that high-level administration officials used to discuss plans to strike Yemen.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffery Goldberg, who was inadvertently added to the group chat used to discuss sensitive military operations, published the messages on Wednesday after the White House and senior U.S. officials repeatedly claimed the chat did not contain classified information.
Trump responded to the leak during a Wednesday appearance on The Vince Show podcast by Vince Coglianese.
Katie Hawkinson and Rhian Lubin report.
More Democrats call for Hegseth to resign over Signal app exposure
16:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
House Democrats this morning joined calls for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign over the Signal app scandal.
“It is completely outrageous to me that administration officials come before us today with impunity, no acceptance of responsibility,” said Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado. He said Pete Hegseth “must resign immediately. There can be no fixes, there can be no corrections until there is accountability.”
Here’s that moment:
Fox News cut away from the hearing just before Crow called for Hegseth's resignation pic.twitter.com/TRrbaiRMJp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2025
Other Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee rejected assertions by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe that no classified material was included in the chat.
They pointed out that chat messages released by The Atlantic on Wednesday as evidence that the exposure could have jeopardized the mission’s success or endangered U.S. service members’ lives.
“This is classified information. It’s a weapon system, as well as a sequence of strikes, as well as details of the operations,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. “He needs to resign immediately.”
Watch: Tense moment in House intel committee over question on whether Hegseth was drinking before group chat
16:30
Some fireworks in the House Intel hearing as Rep. Gomez asks Gabbard and Ratcliffe if Hegseth "had been drinking before he leaked classified information."
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) March 26, 2025
"I think that's an offensive line of questioning," Ratcliffe says. "The answer is no."
Lots of angry crosstalk. pic.twitter.com/1geRVQyVRv
Donald Trump Jr’s attempt to smear Jeffrey Goldberg is brutally shot down
16:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump Jr’s attempt to smear The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was swiftly shot down in the fallout of the Signalgate national security scandal.
Embattled Republicans scrambled to downplay the severity of the breach after Goldberg’s explosive report detailed how White House National Security adviser Mike Waltz mistakenly invited him to an encrypted chat where top officials discussed an impending U.S. strike in Yemen.
Hours before President Trump attempted to shift the blame to an unidentified “lower level” White House employee, his eldest son targeted Golberg on X.
James Liddell has the story.
Lindsey Graham says Trump national security team still has his support
16:10
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Oliver O'Connell
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says that he continues to support all members of President Donald Trump’s national security team following the staggering security breach generated by their group chat on Signal.
“President Trump and his team have admitted that having a journalist in the group text was wrong, will be reviewed … I believe that all the participants in the chat were under the impression they were using an appropriate and secure form of communication.”
Read Graham’s full statement via X:
I continue to support all members of President @realDonaldTrump's national security team.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 26, 2025
My statement⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rA6DOTXzos
Hegseth continues to push back, calling his group chat message 'shitty war plans'
16:04
,
Oliver O'Connell
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, currently on a tour of U.S. bases in the Pacific, has entered the chat (so to speak) and joined the Trump administration’s condemnation of the characterization of what he posted in the Signal group chat as “war plans.”
Hegseth wrote on X:
So, let’s me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called “war plans” and those “plans” include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information.
Those are some really shitty war plans.
This only proves one thing: Jeff Goldberg has never seen a war plan or an “attack plan” (as he now calls it). Not even close.
As I type this, my team and I are traveling the INDOPACOM region, meeting w/ Commanders (the guys who make REAL “war plans”) and talking to troops.
We will continue to do our job, while the media does what it does best: peddle hoaxes.
Hegseth was part of the media from 2014 to 2024 when he worked at Fox News.
So, let’s me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called “war plans” and those “plans” include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 26, 2025
Those are some really shitty war plans.
This only proves…
Watch: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi shows where classified information was disclosed on Signal
16:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Illinois Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi: “This text message is clearly classified information. Secretary Hegseth has disclosed military plans as well as classified information. He needs to resign immediately.”
Krishnamoorthi presents receipts from the Signal chat showing that classified info was clearly disclosed by Hegseth and calls for his resignation pic.twitter.com/x1ouB2SXXE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2025
Buttigieg calls out White House for 'playing semantics'
15:52
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Oliver O'Connell
Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, a veteran, says that the Trump administration cannot shrug off the Signalgate scandal by “playing semantics.”
He wrote on X: “They’re not going to get out of this by playing semantics.
“Sending detailed information about an upcoming military strike on unclassified channels (and even to the wrong guy) is wrong, reckless, and obviously a threat to American troops.”
They’re not going to get out of this by playing semantics.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 26, 2025
Sending detailed information about an upcoming military strike on unclassified channels (and even to the wrong guy) is wrong, reckless, and obviously a threat to American troops.
Watch: Gabbard cannot remember which country she was visiting at time of Signal texts
15:48
,
Oliver O'Connell
Crow: You were also traveling during this discussion, correct?
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 26, 2025
Gabbard: Yes.
Crow: And where were you?
Gabbard: I don't recall which country I was in at that time.
Crow: You don't remember the country? pic.twitter.com/z29FF50LXO
Surreal scenes over at Marjorie Taylor Greene's DOGE hearing on PBS and NPR
15:38
,
Oliver O'Connell and Alex Woodward
The Marjorie Taylor Greene DOGE hearing into the editorial output of NPR and PBS has produced some undeniably surreal scenes this morning in the House of Representatives.
First, there was this:
PBS CEO Paula Kerger has clarified that the drag queen, Lil Miss Hot Mess, that Greene pulled up was “not on any of our kids’ shows.”
“The image that [Greene] showed was from a project our New York City station did with the New York Department of Education. It did not air. It was a digital project … It was mistakenly put on our website for our New York City station. It was not intended for national distribution. It was immediately pulled down. It was never broadcast.”
"Fire @elonmusk. Save @elmo." sign by Texas's @GregCasar, who cited @acltv as an example of what needs to be saved from DOGE budget cuts. (cc @FloorCharts) pic.twitter.com/3kej2xNugG
— Michael Board (@MikeBoard1200) March 26, 2025
Rep Greg Casar, addressing the author of Project 2025's proposal to defund NPR and PBS, noted other examples of profligate spending by illustrating them using children’s TV characters: “How many millions of dollars a month do taxpayers spend for Daniel Tiger to play golf? … Has Miss Piggy ever been caught trying to funnel billions of dollars in government contracts to herself and her companies? … How about Arthur the Aardvark? Has he ever fired government watchdogs investigating his companies? … Pointing the finger at Elmo to cover for Elon Musk might be a new low for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s committee.”
Rep Jasmine Crockett said of the hearing: “The idea you want to shut down everybody that’s not Fox News is bullshit. … You don’t want to hear the opinions of anybody else.”
Meanwhile, Rep Jim Jordan suggested that NPR should be tracking its reporters’ voter registrations, and Rep James Comer learned the meaning of editorial standards, courtsey of President and CEO of NPR Katherine Maher:
oh my god -- Comer thinks "editorial standards" literally refers to standards for editorials and is corrected by the NPR head pic.twitter.com/TasWxxvoRf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2025
And finally, Rep Robert Garcia asked whether, by living together and being supportive of each other, Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie were part of an extreme homosexual agenda, suggesting that Greene and others might find that triggering.
Watch that moment:
Fire Elon, save Elmo.@RepRobertGarcia calls out @GOPoversight for not doing their jobs and conducting actual oversight. pic.twitter.com/P0qZ63T3c6
— Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) March 26, 2025
Trump people of Greenland must be convinced to become U.S. citizens
15:26
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump said today that “we have to convince” the people of Greenland to become U.S. citizens.
When asked if he believes they’re “eager” to gain American citizenship, the president replied that he wasn’t sure, “but I think we have to do it, and we have to convince them.”
Trump reiterated in an interview Wednesday on The Vince Show that the U.S. needs control of Greenland for national security purposes.
His comments have annoyed residents of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, are scheduled to visit a U.S. military base on the Arctic island this Friday.
Katie Hawkinson has more details.
Mike Waltz claims he has never met Jeffrey Goldberg, however...
15:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Michael Waltz claimed that he’s “never met, don’t know, never communicated with” Jeffrey Goldberg.
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) March 26, 2025
Here’s a photo of Waltz standing next to Goldberg during a 2021 event at the French Embassy.
The event Waltz attended—a Q&A with a French filmmaker—was moderated by Goldberg. pic.twitter.com/eTqOY7xnTl
Dave Portnoy calls for Mike Waltz to step down
15:12
,
Oliver O'Connell
Dave Portnoy, el presidente of Barstool Sports, whose audience is predominantly young men who swung toward Donald Trump in the 2024 election, has weighed-in on Signalgate, calling for Mike Waltz to step down, saying: “Somebody has to go down for this.”
"There’s nothing being made up here. Jeffrey Goldberg is telling the truth. It’s obvious these texts are real. It’s obvious they’re classified. It’s obvious we gave away the strike information two hours before..."
He posted this video to X:
Political Rant incoming on the Houthis Leaked Groupchat. If you don’t like my political rants just keep the line moving. pic.twitter.com/YjKN2u8YU5
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) March 26, 2025
Meanwhile, over at DOGE, more revelations about 'Big Balls'...
15:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
According to reporting by Reuters, the 19-year-old staffer in Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as “Big Balls,” allegedly has something of a shady past, having provided tech support to a cybercrime ring.
House Oversight Committee Democrats are understandably outraged.
The 19-year-old who’s been let loose on government systems worked for CRIMINAL SCAMMERS.
— Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) March 26, 2025
This is why we need a full investigation into WHO is working for DOGE. Big Balls could never pass a background check, much less get a security clearance. pic.twitter.com/a6EOIjSCgB
Gabbard asked if advance information on U.S. attacks should be classified
14:57
,
Oliver O'Connell
HIMES: Information providing indication or advance warning that the US is preparing an attack should be classified as top secret. Do you disagree with that?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2025
GABBARD: I don't disagree with that. pic.twitter.com/JFW3ofju6r
Gabbard says Signal chat 'candid and sensitive' but 'no classified information was shared'
14:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirms she was part of the chat — which she did not do yesterday — and concedes in questioning before the House Intelligence Committee that the Signal group chat was “candid and sensitive” but says “no classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations, or war plans that were shared.”
Gabbard adds that she is “limited in my ability to comment further on that specific case” because of the Signal lawsuit.
Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the committee grills Gabbard on denying yesterday that details about weapons systems were discussed in the Signal chat.
“My testimony is I did not recall the exact details of what was included there,” Gabbard replies.
Witkoff denies using personal device on Russia trip
14:38
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has pushed back on reporting that he might have used a personal device to access Signal while visiting Moscow at the time of the group chat security breach.
He is adamant that he took no personal devices with him, just a government-supplied device. Witkoff also notes CBS reported Goldberg himself saying that he did not participate in the group chat until the Saturday when he left Russia and returned to the U.S.
I am incredulous that a good newspaper like the @WSJ would not check with me as to whether I had any personal devices with me on either of my trips to Moscow. If they had, they would have known the truth. Which is, I only had with me a secure phone provided by the government for special circumstances when you travel to regions where you do not want your devices compromised.
That is why CBS News reported that Goldberg himself said that he “has not recounted Witkoff making any comments in that group chat until Saturday, after he left Russia and returned to the U.S.”
Guess why? Because I had no access to my personal devices until I returned from my trip. That is the responsible way for me to make these trips and that is how I always conduct myself. Maybe it is time for media outlets like the Journal to acknowledge when some of their people make serious reporting mistakes like this. I would appreciate it if the WSJ and other media outlets check with me the next time they make serious allegations. Thank you.
I am incredulous that a good newspaper like the @WSJ would not check with me as to whether I had any personal devices with me on either of my trips to Moscow. If they had, they would have known the truth. Which is, I only had with me a secure phone provided by the government for… https://t.co/5SqosUkYHv
— Steve Witkoff (@SteveWitkoff) March 26, 2025
Trump breaks silence after The Atlantic publishes more texts
14:29
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump responds to The Atlantic publishing more texts this morning from the Signal chat.
In an interview with Vince Coglianese, the president said: “There weren’t details, and there was nothing in there that compromised, and it had no impact on the attack, which was very successful.”
Trump continues to push a theory that something nefarious happened that allowed editor Jeffrey Goldberg to access the text group — despite National Security Adviser Mike Waltz taking full responsibility and the screenshots confirming he added Goldberg to the group chat.
“A thing like that, maybe Goldberg found a way. Maybe there’s a staffer, maybe there’s a very innocent staffer, but … I think we’ll get to the bottom of it very quickly and it’s really not a big deal.”
Trump responds to The Atlantic publishing more texts this AM from the Signal chat: “There weren’t details, and there was nothing in there that compromised, and it had no impact on the attack, which was very successful.”
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) March 26, 2025
“A thing like that, maybe Goldberg found a way. Maybe…
In pictures: Trump intelligence officials appear before House committee
14:25
,
Oliver O'Connell
The publication of The Atlantic’s bombshell reporting on the Trump administration’s Signal security breach could not have come at a more awkward time for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel, who are in the middle of spending two days on Capitol Hill briefing lawmakers in public on security threats to the country.
Supreme Court upholds Biden rule requiring serial numbers and background checks for nearly untraceable ghost gun kits
14:20
,
Ariana Baio
The Supreme Court has upheld Biden’s regulations on “ghost guns” or untraceable firearms that can be assembled by buying a parts kit online. Justices agreed that the regulations are OK but “ghost guns” meet the definition of a “firearm” as it’s described in the Gun Control Act – a long-standing federal law that regulates guns.
Interestingly, this opinion contained photos of guns to show how they are classified as weapons. We rarely get photos in opinions so that’s kind of fun.
The opinion was 7-2 with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting
Watch LIVE: MTG's DOGE committee grills NPR and PBS after accusing broadcasters of 'brainwashing children'
14:16
,
Oliver O'Connell
Big question: Did Pete Hegseth type that attack plan out?
14:14
,
Oliver O'Connell
Podcast host, Army veteran, and political consultant Fred Wellman raises an interesting point — did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth type out the attack plan he sent out in the Signal group chat, or did he copy and paste it from another document or message?
This begs the question, what else is on his phone?
Here’s a fun thought exercise. Did Pete Hegseth type this out on his phone or copy and paste it from a classified document or message on the same device? Does the @SecDef have classified information on his personal devices? Don’t bother asking. He will lie. pic.twitter.com/bfsSqZ3Gn6
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) March 26, 2025
Watch LIVE: US security chiefs testify to House on worldwide threats after Signal 'war plans' chat leaks
14:03
,
Oliver O'Connell
Elon Musk issues ominous message to veteran Democrat after Melania Trump attack
14:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
The world’s richest man has issued an ominous message to veteran Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters, 86, after she was filmed suggesting that First Lady Melania Trump should be investigated and possibly deported from the United States.
Waters came under fire from Musk after a video of her speaking at an anti-Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rally at the weekend in Los Angeles went viral.
Madeline Sherratt has the story.
Vance insists Goldberg ‘oversold what he had’
13:45
,
Joe Sommerlad
With Trump seemingly reluctant to be drawn into this mess, it’s been up to Leavitt and the vice president to respond so far, with the latter once more attacking Jeffrey Goldberg’s credibility.
It’s very clear Goldberg oversold what he had. But one thing in particular really stands out.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 26, 2025
Remember when he was attacking Ratcliffe for blowing the cover for a CIA agent? Turns out Ratcliffe was simply naming his chief of staff. https://t.co/BUGbX6gZDZ
Here’s a counterpoint from our own Andrew Feinberg:
The @VP posting this as a gotcha but he is almost certainly aware that @CIADirector’s chief of staff is an active intelligence officer.
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) March 26, 2025
That means disclosing that person’s name is a federal crime under the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act. See 50 USC §§ 421-426, etc. https://t.co/MCK6JDyGap
Trump’s most hated ‘radical left lunatic’ judge assigned to Signalgate lawsuit
13:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
US District Judge James Boasberg, with whom the president recently tangled over the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, has been assigned the lawsuit brought by American Oversight over the Signalgate debacle.
This will produce a Chernobyl-style MAGA meltdown. https://t.co/sGDLo5fe6V
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) March 26, 2025
‘This is what Pete Hegseth says isn’t a war plan?’
13:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
While the administration might quibble over the difference between “war plans” and “attack plans”, there now seems little doubt that the information shared in the Signal chat was highly sensitive and went into detail on exactly what was planned for the Houthis on the Red Sea, calling into serious question the denials we’ve heard so far that classified material was shared.
This is what Pete Hegseth says isn't a "war plan" pic.twitter.com/gzvVRXZ7MF
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) March 26, 2025
Listen everyone. I’ve see classified stuff before. This is the kind of stuff that gets the highest classification.
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) (@AdamKinzinger) March 26, 2025
I had to have TS clearance to hear the names of the people we targeted in Iraq when i was with TF16 and 17. And still some names were withheld until op was… https://t.co/3OuSo6Coom
If this isn't classified information, honestly, I don't know what is. pic.twitter.com/ECfyupA1sg
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 26, 2025
‘All of these people should be fired:’ Stephen Colbert rips into Trump officials
13:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
Colbert became the latest late-night host to skewer the Trump officials caught up in the Signal text leak, calling for them to be fired before going further and arguing that some should be jailed.
“What else are these ‘merit-based hires’ posting on?” the comedian asked.
“What are they doing? Where else? For all we know, for just $4.99 a month, you might see the launch codes on OnlyFans.”
James Liddell was watching.
Why the Signal chat leak might have exposed a big legal problem for Trump administration
12:50
,
Joe Sommerlad
The stunning revelation that The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief was inadvertently added to a group chat detailing recent airstrikes in Yemen has called into question the U.S. government’s ability to safeguard sensitive information and has exposed a potentially big legal problem.
The behaviour of Trump’s top security personnel “blatantly violated security regulations designed to prevent exactly this kind of leak, which would trigger administrative punishments,” attorney Mitch Jackson wrote on his Substack, citing the Espionage Act, the Federal Records and Presidential Records Acts, among others.
Here’s Rhian Lubin with what else the experts have had to say about the administration’s eyebrow-raising blunder.
Breaking: Atlantic publishes Trump administration’s Houthi attack plans in full
12:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
Jeffrey Goldberg and colleague Shane Harris have just published the full text thread exchange from the Signal group chat in which the likes of Hegseth, Waltz and Vance discuss their plans for targeting the Houthis in Yemen, which makes for some pretty interesting reading.
BREAKING: “People should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions.” @JeffreyGoldberg and @shaneharris share the group chat in which officials planned strikes on Yemen. https://t.co/oOwwHA1SQh
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) March 26, 2025
This is how White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded:
The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT “war plans.”
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 26, 2025
This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin. pic.twitter.com/atGrDd2ymr
Here’s more from Rhian Lubin.
Jasmine Crockett under fire for mocking Texas governor’s wheelchair: ‘Governor Hot Wheels down there’
12:30
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