Senior intelligence officials testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee, a day after an explosive report in The Atlantic, with the CIA director denying that ‘a huge mistake’ had been made.
US President Donald Trump’s top intelligence officials have claimed, under oath, that no classified information was shared in a Signal group chat that accidentally included a journalist and concerned strikes against Yemen.
Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee a day after the stunning revelation in The Atlantic, senior officials attempted to downplay the significance of what has been roundly condemned as a historic security failure.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, on Monday reported that he was added to a text thread, which discussed imminent strikes on Houthi militias in Yemen, after Michael Waltz sent him a connection request.
While Goldberg initially did not believe the Signal chat to be genuine, he was subsequently shocked to watch as Houthi targets were indeed struck at the time that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced they would be to the group.
Goldberg wrote that the discussion in the Signal chat “included precise information about weapons packages, targets and timing,” though he did not release information that could jeopardise US national security.
Goldberg reported, without revealing their identity, that Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe shared the name of an active CIA agent via Signal.
The National Security Council later confirmed the chat’s veracity.
Despite the jaw-dropping development, which has made front pages globally, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard claimed that no classified information had been shared in the group chat.
‘No classified or intelligence equities were included’
Asked during the hearing whether the timing and location of upcoming military strikes had been shared in the group she said: “I can attest to the fact that there were not classified or intelligence equities that were included in that chat group at any time.”
Gabbard’s response drew incredulity from members of the committee, with Independent Senator Angus King of Maine saying, “It’s hard for me to believe that targets and timing and weapons would not have been classified.”
Senator Mark Warner, of Virginia, the top Democrat on the intelligence committee, also pushed back against Gabbard’s claim, saying: “If there was no classified material, share it with the committee. You can’t have it both ways.”
Gabbard later refused to confirm whether she had accessed the Signal group chat from a personal or work phone.
Ratcliffe also attempted to downplay the significance of the mishap. While he acknowledged that he was in the chat, he described it as “lawful,” claiming that Signal was permitted as a workplace communication tool.
When pressed to admit that a “huge mistake” had been made, Ratcliffe denied it. Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia asked, “Director Ratcliffe, this was a huge mistake, correct?” Ratcliffe responded, “No.”
Ossoff subsequently launched into a full-throated criticism, calling the incident “an embarrassment … utterly unprofessional” and stressing that there’s been “no apology” or “recognition of the gravity of this error.”
ADVERTISEMENT“By the way, we will get the full transcript of this chain – and your testimony will be measured carefully against its content,” he added.
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