Mike Waltz Acknowledges Fault Over Signal Chat Leak Involving Sensitive Military Discussions

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has taken responsibility for a leaky Signal chat that included sensitive military discussions with a journalist, prompting concerns over security protocols and a potential investigation into the incident's ramifications.

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has publicly accepted full responsibility for the leak of a Signal group chat, wherein prominent officials discussed military strategies related to Yemen, mistakenly including a journalist in the conversation. In a recent interview with Fox News, Waltz described the situation as "embarrassing," affirming, "I built the group." High-profile figures including President Trump and intelligence leaders have attempted to mitigate concerns, asserting that no classified information was compromised during the discussions.

Several lawmakers, from both the Democratic and Republican parties, have called for an investigation into what many consider a significant breach of national security protocols. The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, disclosed that he was accidentally added to the Signal chat and gained access to classified military plans for US actions in Yemen, including specific operational details, just prior to the strikes.

Despite Waltz's claims of ignorance regarding how Goldberg came to be included, he indicated that another individual was intended to be in his place, not the journalist. Waltz has since consulted with technical experts to investigate the situation, noting he did not have Goldberg's contact on his phone.

President Trump labeled the incident a minor "glitch" with no operational impact, suggesting a lower-level staff member had mistakenly provided Goldberg's contact information. During a Senate hearing, both CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard denied that any classified material had been exchanged in the chat.

The group chat also featured significant discussions about the potential obligation of European nations to pay for US protection of critical shipping lanes, with officials expressing disdain for European reliance on American military support. The dialogue insinuated friction regarding Europe’s financial commitment to these operations, with one message stating, "I just hate bailing Europe out again."

The incident has alarmed national security experts, raising alarms about vulnerabilities related to utilizing civilian messaging applications for sensitive discussions. The non-partisan watchdog group American Oversight has since launched a lawsuit against the officials involved for perceived violations of record-keeping laws, highlighting concerns over the chat's automatic message deletion settings that contravene regulations mandating the preservation of presidential records.

Just weeks prior, the National Security Agency had cautioned its employees about vulnerabilities associated with Signal, adding another layer of complexity to this sensitive situation.