Controversy over “Signal” group chat reaches new stage
The journalist who was inadvertently added to the chat alongside top Trump officials has released all of the exchanged messages.
(NBC)- The controversy surrounding the sensitive “Signal” group chat has reached a new level, as the journalist who was inadvertently added to the chat alongside top Trump officials has released all of the exchanged messages. The messages, including a series from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, detail the timing and weapons involved in U.S. airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, set to begin just hours before the first fighter jet launch. The screenshots, however, do not include information on specific targets.
Hegseth and other high-ranking officials have denied that any classified information was included, with Hegseth stating: “There’s no units, no locations, no routes, no flight paths, no sources, no methods, no classified information.”
Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg explained that he chose to release the messages due to assertions from multiple officials that they contained no classified content. However, President Trump was less conclusive when asked about the potential classification of the messages. “You have to ask the various people involved. I really don’t know,” Trump said, while focusing on the success of the mission and distancing himself from the fallout. “I think it’s a witch hunt. I wasn’t involved with it,” he added.
On Capitol Hill, Democrats continued to press the issue. In a hearing before the House, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colorado) called the situation “outrageous,” labeling it a “leadership failure.” Some Republicans also expressed concern, with Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) questioning the appropriateness of using Signal for such a conversation. “I can’t see any rationale for the kind of conversation that took place over ‘Signal,’ for not taking place in a more secure manner than that,” he said.
The Republican Senate Armed Services Chair has called for an expedited Inspector General investigation into the matter. “I would have wanted it classified,” he added.
As Democrats continue to press for firings, a new lawsuit has been filed accusing the officials in the group chat of violating federal recordkeeping laws. The lawsuit points to the messages being set to automatically delete. The case has been assigned to the same federal judge who recently blocked the White House from using wartime powers to deport Venezuelan migrants, a ruling that led President Trump to call for the judge’s impeachment, criticizing him on social media overnight.
