Use of Signal in the White House Originated in the Biden Administration
“It is my understanding that the Biden administration authorized Signal as a means of communication … and that continued into the Trump administration.”
It has been widely reported that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz made a significant error by inadvertently including Jeffrey Goldberg, the far-left, anti-Trump editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, in a Signal chat discussing the Trump administration’s imminent plans to bomb Houthi targets across Yemen. According to Goldberg, on March 11, he unexpectedly received a connection request from Waltz, which he accepted. This led to his inclusion in a group chat of 18 individuals, which included Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President J.D. Vance.
[Mary Chastain covered this story here.]
Goldberg recounted the story in a detailed article published on The Atlantic’s website on Monday. He said that at 11:44 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, he received a message from Hegseth containing “operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.”
Just two hours later, bombs were falling across Yemen. Unsurprisingly, Goldberg condemned the “shocking recklessness” of discussing such sensitive information on Signal. He wrote:
I have never seen a breach quite like this. It is not uncommon for national-security officials to communicate on Signal. But the app is used primarily for meeting planning and other logistical matters—not for detailed and highly confidential discussions of a pending military action. And, of course, I’ve never heard of an instance in which a journalist has been invited to such a discussion.
Signal is an open-source, encrypted messaging service, and frankly, I was surprised this group chose to conduct military planning on such a platform.
Clearly, I wasn’t alone in this reaction. The legacy media had a field day expressing their indignation over the entire affair. And, of course, the calls for Waltz’s immediate dismissal grew louder by the minute.
Hillary Clinton, whose use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state and subsequent destruction of equipment and emails, may have cost her the 2016 election should really have sat this one out.
You have got to be kidding me.https://t.co/IhhvFvw6DG pic.twitter.com/bnNG4dGSpI
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2025
In the end, President Donald Trump recognized that while Waltz had made a serious mistake, it was just that—a mistake—and he stood by him. It had not impacted the operation, and the entire team took away a valuable lesson.
Meanwhile, the exact “specifics” Hegseth included in his pre-strike message remain unclear. Although Goldberg did not directly quote Hegseth in his article, he strongly implied access to “secret” information.
In the X post below, The Daily Signal’s Tony Kinnett questions Goldberg’s characterization of Hegseth’s message. Did Goldberg exaggerate?
What Goldberg & the Atlantic are calling TOP SECRET “war plans” is a massive embellishment—any butterbar fresh out of ROTC could tell you that. These aren’t war plans. These aren’t even school board notes. They’re “Ok, we’re ready to do that thing everyone knew we were going to do? Yep? Neat. Also Europe sucks.” Watergate this is not. It’s a final, informal check-in after things are already planned/assigned.
I've read the Atlantic article & Signal messages twice, top to bottom. Most of those on social media ringing alarm bells and repeating talking points have not.
Should Goldberg have been added to the chat? No.
Did Goldberg gain access to "secret" information? Kind of. He found… pic.twitter.com/KMHpFsjvT8
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) March 24, 2025
As for the team’s use of Signal, according to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, this was something that carried over from the Biden administration.
During the Tuesday morning edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Lawrence Jones noted, “many people in the intelligence community use Signal all the time.” He asked Cotton if that was correct.
“Lawrence, that is correct,” Cotton replied. “In fact, I bet a bunch of those senators that you see at the hearing today are using Signal as well to speak to each other or to speak to their aides.
“It is my understanding that the Biden administration authorized Signal as a means of communication that was consistent with presidential record keeping requirements for its administration — and that continued into the Trump administration,” he said.
“It’s simply another messaging app like the iMessage app on your iPhone or email servers that every administration has set up in which senior administration officials can communicate with each other.”
Senate Intel Committee Chair @SenTomCotton: "The Biden Administration authorized Signal as a means of communication that was consistent with presidential recordkeeping requirements for its administration — and that continued into the Trump Administration." pic.twitter.com/7kgz4O1seO
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
On Monday night, CNN’s Scott Jennings said, “I did learn a few things in some of my conversations, if you’re interested. One is that the Signal program was preloaded on a number of devices and agency computers in this circuit when they got there. So, in their view, it was already in use.”
.@ScottJenningsKY just blew apart the narratives coming from the Atlantic hit piece published today and pointed out the facts.
"The Signal program was pre-loaded on a number of devices and agency computers in this circuit when they got there, so in their view, it was already… pic.twitter.com/bqBDUkkRcn
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) March 25, 2025
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said essentially the same thing during his sworn testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
So that we’re clear, one of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA director was Signal was loaded onto my computer at, uh, the CIA, as it is for most CIA officers.
Um, one of the things that I was briefed on very early, Senator, was by the CIA records management folks about—about the use of Signal as a permissible work use. It is. That is a practice that preceded the current administration to the Biden administration.
And Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers, “There was no classified material that was shared in that Signal chat.”
A lot of calls for Waltz’s head to roll. Ever notice that nobody was ever fired from the Biden administration?
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
I smell a rat
A good question might be why a reporter was in the Biden created system in the first place and what business did Biden administration conduct in secret like this and who did they leak it to in order to guide the news.
It was a stupid mistake but mistakes happen. Too bad everything either gets minimized our blown out of proportion.
This wasn’t a mistake. Nobody ‘accidentally’ added Jeff freaking Goldberg to a restricted chat.
Somebody (most likely a staffer) intentionally put him in there so he could launch this stupid nothingburger.
He insists they were discussing WAR PLANS, but has provided no evidence to actually back that up.
‘Trust me, bro, they were talking WAR PLANS’ doesn’t work from hacks like the Atlantic.
If it was a staffer than it was a stupid move. An application like this typically includes an audit trail. Don’t know if this one has one, but it should. If one exists then the staffer outed themselves and is gone. Maybe even prosecuted for overtly violating security. If no audit trail than 1) dump the app and 2) look for such a staffer if warranted. Shouldn’t be that hard to find them.
I think it is too early to tell
Possibly a pure error – I will accidently include a wrong person on an email 2-3 times per year even though I am very careful to review the email before sending.
On the other hand, lots of prior administration’s staff continues to work, and the staffer committing the error may be a pro biden staff and intention. Again too early to tell
2-3 times per year????? Good grief. My given name is fairly common, and is just a little off from an attorney at the firm I work at. I get 2-3 emails a day meant for him.
Given that everyone in the chat was referred to by nicknames or initials and there is another Trump staffer with the same JG initials, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who often attends National Security Council meetings, this could be a legitimate mistake.
I think you are wrong because the agencies that Trump’s people were taking over had this app downloaded onto their personal devices by that agency. That would indicate that somehow his number was already in the app. You can bet a lie detector test is coming for every staffer too. Waltz has vouched for his entire staff and believes it is from some other source.
Depends on WHO is in charge! The “libermedia” knows it’s MASTER!
“A lot of calls for Waltz’s head to roll. Ever notice that nobody was ever fired from the Biden administration?”
You must be really tired from carrying all that water for this administration, Ms. Stauffer. Not to mention bending over backwards to find another way to blame this on the Biden administration. Never owning your faults, always passing the buck. Not my idea of what conservatism should be. More like tribalism.
Let me see if I can help you here.
We understand, and acknowledge, that the Signal app was used by the Biden administration.
The issue is not that the Trump people were using Signal.
The issue is that THEY ADDED A JOURNALIST TO THE CHAT, AND WERE TOO INCOMPETENT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
Are you even able to discern the difference between those two things, logically speaking? Honestly, I’m not convinced you are.
By your logic, we could have two people who each have a gun. One uses that gun for lawful purposes, one for unlawful purposes. The public points out that the latter person used their gun for unlawful purposes. But hey – please remind us that the other person has a gun also. Because THAT’S relevant! (sarcasm)
But leaving aside your lame Biden-used-the-app-too-nyah-nyah argument, what is interesting now is that cult-member Gabbard and CIA Director Ratcliffe have both painted themselves into a corner. They both said – under oath – that there was no classified information discussed in the chat. Ok, fine. Then journalist Goldberg is free to release the whole chat to the public, and we can all see what’s in there.
GFY turd
Do you feel better now?
Longwinded Troll Pig ALERT!
Yawn…..
I had a friend in 5th grade, and by 6th grade I started noticing he needed to use his finger to read, and do so reaaaallly slowly. It dawned on me; some people just aren’t smart enough to read well, and are intimidated by lots of words. “Lots of Words” requires cognitive processing, which is just difficult for many. I was sad for him then. I’m sad for you now.
I’m not sad for you. I have no patience for morons.
Liar. You never finished fifth grade.
And he did not have any friends.
Some of us allocated our skill points in different areas. My grandfather never went to high school but could frame a house and rebuild an engine as well as any professional.
“What difference, at this point, does it make?!”
Tell me you’re an idiot without telling me you’re an idiot.
Get the hell out of here. You, Junior, and tjv1156 all together have about three functioning brain cells.
Close. They have one that they share like the witches and their eye in MacBeth,
The issue is that THEY ADDED A JOURNALIST TO THE CHAT, AND WERE TOO INCOMPETENT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
Uh, they didn’t realize that he was there, not that they didn’t understand that a journalist was added. “Gee, I thought Jeffrey Goldberg was one of us.” Are YOU even able to discern the difference between those two things, logically speaking? At least get the issue right for your faux outrage. Goldberg could have immediately notified the group he was added on, and he STILL would have had his story. He wanted to hear. Why? For what reason would he even be there at all? He wanted to hear state secrets. His point that he was given an invite could have been made without hanging around.
What you want to happen is not going to happen. No one is going to be fired. The noise will die down fairly quickly. [Where are the hundreds of J6’s who went on to commit crimes against police since they were pardoned? Wasn’t THAT the big story two months ago?]
18 people on a group chat. It is pretty hard on a phone to see all members
And JG could also be US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who often attends National Security Council meetings and would logically be included in the final decision.
We are merely pointing out your hipocrasy of being outraged by this but not by anything Bidens regime ever got up to
And let’s make no mistakes here, EVERYTHING carried out by Bidens regime was done with the sole purpose of destroying America, which is why morons like you get all hot and moist over 2020 to 2024
You need to pace yourself as give got another 7 years of Trump and then 8 years of JD to survive through sweetie
The issue was using signal at all. Classified information should NEVER be placed in any system that is not approved for it.
One of the key requirements is the automatic enforcement of classification rules. Classified systems tag each unit of information (message, attachment, etc) with classification level. They automatically prevent transmission of that information to someone who is not marked cleared for that information.
As soon as people started using an open system that included uncleared people anD did not enforce rules on transmission of classified info it was guaranteed that a fuck up would happen at summer point.
If the Bidden administration was also doing this then we have at least three administrations (Obama, Biden, Trump 2) in which senior administration officials refused to use secure messaging systems for classified information. We need to know why this is happening and put a stop to it permanently.
This time. I agree.
The issue is not whether Signal was authorized or unauthorized. That’s a red herring.
This is. like someone on SCOTUS mailing an advance leak of Dobbs to the NYT, then excusing themselves use of the US Mail was authorized way back in the Washington administration.
“A lot of calls for Waltz’s head to roll. Ever notice that nobody was ever fired from the Biden administration?”
Sure did. That’s the difference between an administration made up of responsible adults and administration made up of self-aggrandizing crooks. And it’s the main reason there is no more Biden administration. We chose a man of principles, not of excuses. And sometimes they’re painful to uphold, but that’s the difference we expect.
Goldberg likely got there by subterfuge. Assuming so, not too smart. Can you find a worse messenger?
In any event, a good lesson early on regarding security. By the weekend, the only ones obsessing will be the progressives, media and TDSers, including the internet trolls we love so much.
The deranged left didn’t need to the weekend to be the only ones getting moist over this
I expect stories like this to crescendo the closer we get to peace in the Ukraine.
.
“You have got to be kidding me – Hillary Clinton.”
She whacks Vince Foster and then says stupid things like that.
“During the Tuesday morning edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Lawrence Jones noted, “many people in the intelligence community use Signal all the time.” He asked Cotton if that was correct.”
“Lawrence, that is correct,” Cotton replied. “In fact, I bet a bunch of those senators that you see at the hearing today are using Signal as well to speak to each other or to speak to their aides.”
Well then these people in the intelligence community are not very intelligent. Of course we knew that. No one should fully trust any of the popular messengering apps like Signal. You don’t know how secure they really are. Claims like “open source,” “end-to-end-encryption must be checked. A go to place for things cryptologic: https://www.schneier.com
Bruce Schneier has authored many books and articles on cryptography and he qualifies as an authority on the subject. I went to his website and did a search on “Signal.” Lots came up, and I read many of the comments. One comment claimed that we cannot verify the that the Signal app you download is complied from the published open source. If this is true, than Signal certainly does not qualify as “open source.”
Our military should not use Signal without proper vetting. Better yet our military should have its own custom, non-public secure messaging app. Ditto for Congress.
One can always embed an encrypted message in the Signal message itself. Is anything secure? Yes the one-time pad was proved secure by Claude Shannon (of information theory fame) in a classified report during WWII. This report is now public, and in Shannon’s collected works, which I have. The Soviets used one-time pads, but they goofed and we decrypted many of their transmissions. See the Venona project.
I saw some story somewhere – I think linked off the aggregate site Citizen Free Press – that Goldberg is threatening to release more stuff.
He needs a visit.
I say release it.
This is like Schiff For Brains constantly spewing about all the SECRET RUSSIA DOCUMENTS he had seen, which was just a straight up lie.
Goldberg doesn’t have anything and he knows it. That’s why he’s ‘threatening’ this nonsense. He’s just grandstanding and pulling a, ‘TRUST ME BRO I HAVE ALL THESE SECRET DOCUMENTS’.
He has zero credibility.
He needs to be visited and visited hard at 3am with the same callous disregard for his rights that was shown to every conservative visited with fully armed swat during Bidens regime.
Because some fool or mole in the current administration added him to a classified mailing list? Do you hear yourself?
What a wonderfully novel way to get rid of pesky opposition journalists: have a random person in the administration add them to a classified mailing list, and then raid them for having been added.
I thinkit’s time for Orange HArevy to declassify everything in that chat like he did at MAR-A LAgo . LAFFFFFRIOT!!!
It turns out like Hegseth is a pathological liar too.It’s a clown show.
Shut up, you idiot.
There was nothing classified in the chat in the first place.
Just remember: James Carville said the Trump/Biden administration would “implode” in 30 days .. and the 30th day is … March 26!! Was the Goldberg “story” meant to do that? to implode over the weekend and be fully effective on March 26? I fully expect the unAmericans afflicted with TDS to try, try again and again and again.
Orange Harvey can’t very well fire Hegseth can he? After all, what he did with classified info was way worse. LAFFRIOT
One of the most demoralizing influences on the American psyche over the past dozen administrations of commies and RINOs is that there were NEVER ANY CONSEQUENCES.
Barr. Comey. Mayorkas. Austin. Milley. Hillary. Joe. Even Hunter Fucking Biden. All skated scot free.
This is not how adults show responsibility.
“Everybody assumed.” “Nobody realized.” “The technology did not keep us from making a mistake.” All weak sauce you expect from commies, not serious men.
Who captained the ship? Who is responsible? Who will bear the actual consequences?
Again..if the Atlantic crew is knowingly publishing what they believe ( or in fact is) classified
they are guilty of a seditious act
Well since ‘the moron ‘ and all his lackeys have said no classified info was in the chat, your post FAILS.
Lets’s face it. Orange HArvey can’t very well admonish any of his lackeys since what he did with classified info was ten times worse. LAFFRIOT
Leave a Comment