John Ratcliffe and Tulsi Gabbard defend handling of signal chat incident in Senate hearing
John Ratcliffe and Tulsi Gabbard testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee following the inadvertent inclusion of a journalist in a Signal chat discussing U.S. military plans in Yemen.
During the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 25, 2025, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were called to explain the mishap involving the Signal app. The chat thread, which included several top officials, such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was intended to discuss military operations against Houthi militias in Yemen. However, the inclusion of Goldberg raised alarms about how sensitive information was being shared via electronic platforms.
Ratcliffe, in his testimony, confirmed his presence in the group chat but emphasized that the information shared was lawful and did not include classified materials. He explained that Signal was authorized for work-related communication when he began his tenure at the CIA, though he did not address how appropriate it was discussing military plans on such a platform.
Gabbard’s defense: no classified information shared
Tulsi Gabbard, who was also part of the Signal app, stated that no classified information was ever exchanged in the chat. She further defended the use of the app and answered questions from Democrats; assuring them that specific details about weapons, targets or timing were ever discussed.
Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he knew something was gonna happen in the Middle East on March 15, 2 hours before the Yemen strike. Photo: NPR
Despite her explanations, they did very little to ease the concerns of the Senate about the mishandling of sensitive information, specially details of what could be labeled as highly classified.
What are the political and security implications of the John Ratcliffe and Tulsi Gabbard Signal chat incident?
Senator Mark Warner, who serves as the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized the fact that numerous high-ranking officials were part of the group chat, yet no one took the time to verify whether an unauthorized individual had joined. He described the situation as "mind-boggling."
This incident has also sparked concerns over whether highly sensitive information should be shared on apps like Signal. While these platforms offer encryption, they remain vulnerable to potential leaks.
Although both Ratcliffe and Gabbard have committed to cooperating, the National Security Council has initiated an internal review to determine how Goldberg was able to join the chat.