Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate this week that no classified materials were shared in a group chat involving senior U.S. national security officials and Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg, undercutting Democratic efforts to frame the situation as a major breach.

Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee following reports that Goldberg had been mistakenly added to a Signal group chat where members of President Donald Trump’s national security team were discussing a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

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The story gained attention after The Atlantic reported Goldberg had seen messages referencing military actions prior to the operation.

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During questioning led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Gabbard was asked whether classified materials were shared in the chat.

“There was no classified material that was shared in that chat,” Gabbard responded.

Warner interrupted and pressed her to disclose more details about the conversation, asking why the contents of the chat were not being shared with the Senate.

Gabbard did not respond further before Warner moved on.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard:

There was no classified materials that was shared in that Signal chat.pic.twitter.com/cI5mlFooBS — Clash Report (@clashreport) March 25, 2025

Gabbard’s remarks, along with additional testimony from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, directly challenged efforts by some Democratic lawmakers to portray the incident as a serious national security lapse.

Ratcliffe testified that use of Signal for official communication was not only permitted but had become standard protocol.

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“One of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA director was Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA, as it is for most CIA officers,” Ratcliffe said.

He added, “One of the things that I was briefed on very early … was by the CIA records management folks about the use of Signal as a permissible work use.”

Ratcliffe clarified that the use of Signal predates the Trump administration and continued through the Biden-Harris administration, reinforcing that there was nothing irregular about the platform being used by senior officials.

.@CIADirector: "One of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA director was Signal was loaded onto my computer ... One of the things that I was briefed on very early was ... the use of Signal as a permissible work use — it is." pic.twitter.com/INE94qxikL

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025

The investigation into the accidental inclusion of Goldberg in the group chat centers on National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

According to officials, one of Waltz’s staff members mistakenly added Goldberg’s number to the thread.

The White House has confirmed that the issue is being reviewed but has stood by Waltz.

President Donald Trump addressed the matter in an interview with NBC News, stating, “He’s learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” The president added, “It was one of Waltz’s staffers who accidentally invited Goldberg to the chat,” and emphasized that Goldberg’s presence “had no impact at all” on the military strike against the Houthis.

He described the situation as “the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one.”

Democratic lawmakers had hoped to use the incident to pressure the administration and raise concerns about potential national security lapses.

However, testimony from both Gabbard and Ratcliffe indicated that no sensitive information was compromised and that communication protocols had been followed.

The White House and intelligence officials maintain that the operation against the Houthi targets was not compromised in any way and proceeded according to plan.

As of now, no disciplinary action has been announced against any members of the president’s national security team.

With no evidence of classified leaks and confirmation that Signal is a regularly used and approved communication tool, the administration appears positioned to move beyond the incident.

Excellent breakdown! pic.twitter.com/emYwbAMTBk

— Karli Bonne’ (@KarluskaP) March 25, 2025

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