- National Security Advisor Mike Waltz used the Signal app for sensitive discussions, including facilitating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. This, along with discussions about airstrikes against Yemen, raised concerns about the security of communications and compliance with government record preservation laws.
- President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly defended Waltz’s use of Signal, but behind-the-scenes discussions suggested his future in the administration was uncertain, with some questioning his aggressive stance on military action against Iran.
- The use of Signal by government officials has sparked legal concerns, with watchdog groups suing over potential violations of the Federal Records Act.
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National Security Advisor Mike Waltz reportedly used the messenger app Signal not only to discuss strikes against Yemen, but for other sensitive discussions, including facilitating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
How often did officials use Signal?
The Wall Street Journal reported Waltz communicated with government officials several times on Signal. Officials used the messaging app to address military operations and ways to reach a ceasefire between the two countries.
The Trump administration’s use of Signal first emerged on March 24, when the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said Waltz accidentally added him to a group chat. This group chat included discussions among top cabinet officials about an upcoming strike on Houthis in Yemen.
Waltz took full responsibility for adding Goldberg but insisted the chats contained no classified information.
“So locations. No sources and methods. No war plans. Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent. Bottom line: President Trump is protecting America and our interests,” Waltz said on X on March 26.
No locations.
— Mike Waltz (@MikeWaltz47) March 26, 2025
No sources & methods.
NO WAR PLANS.
Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent.
BOTTOM LINE: President Trump is protecting America and our interests.
Is the administration standing behind Waltz?
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have so far stood by Waltz publicly, but multiple reports say discussions behind the scenes about his future have been different.
According to Politico, Vance suggested in a meeting with the president last week it would be best for Waltz to be dismissed, while The New York Times reported that Trump asked people inside and outside the administration if they thought Waltz should be fired.
The Times also reported Waltz was already on shaky ground within the administration, adding members of the administration see him as overly aggressive when it comes to military action against Iran.
Government officials’ use of Signal now raises questions about the security of communications, with potential implications for intelligence sharing by America’s allies.
There is also the issue of government records preservation, a requirement of federal law, since Signal messages can be automatically deleted over time.
Have past administrations used Signal?
Government officials in the past, including in the Biden administration, have used Signal for correspondence.
In 2024, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommended the use of Signal writing in a memo, it was a “best practice” to “adopt a free messaging application for secure communications that guarantees end-to-end encryption, such as signal or similar apps.”
However, a 2023 Defense Department memo warned against the use of “unmanaged” messaging apps such as Signal to discuss nonpublic information.
A former national security official who served in the Biden administration told The Associated Press they were instructed to use the app sparingly, saying it was most commonly used to notify someone that they should check for a classified message sent through other means.
On March 26, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified to House Intelligence Committee members, government officials have been encouraged to use encrypted apps like Signal for communication when in-person meetings are not possible, and said Signal is “pre-installed” on government devices.
Pentagon officials issued a warning just days before The Atlantic published that its editor-in-chief had been mistakenly added to the group chat.
A memo obtained by NPR stated that Russian hacking groups were using the app’s “linked devices” feature to spy on encrypted conversations.
The watchdog group American Oversight filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration officials over their use of Signal, saying it violated the federal records act.
What happens next?
Federal Judge James Boasberg ordered the agencies involved in the signal chat to preserve all messages between March 11 and 15 and to provide an update to the court Monday, March 31.