By Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal | March 26, 2025
On heels of the testimony of several leaders of the U.S. intelligence agencies, The Atlantic released additional screenshots from the Signal group chat that was composed of high-ranking Trump administration national security officials and accidentally also included The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
“It’s no surprise hoax-peddlers at the Atlantic have already abandoned their ‘war plans’ claim,” posted Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. “These additional Signal chat messages confirm there were no classified materials or war plans shared. The Secretary was merely updating the group on a plan that was underway & had already been briefed through official channels.”
“The American people see through the Atlantic’s pathetic attempts to distract from President Trump’s national security agenda,” he added.
The Atlantic said it was in the “public interest” to publish more messages from the chat.
“There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared,” wrote Goldberg and Shane Harris.
National security adviser Mike Waltz posted on X Wednesday that no locations or sources or methods had been shared on the chat.
“That is the real story here. We had Houthi terrorists firing at American naval ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News host Jesse Watters.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement, “I continue to support all members of President Donald Trump’s national security team. Lessons learned.”
Yesterday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The open hearing was about worldwide threats. The intelligence chiefs discussed the recently published 2025 Annual Threat Assessment, which is the annual report on threats to American security compiled by the U.S. intelligence community.
Ratcliffe said that his communications in the chat “were entirely permissible and lawful and did not include classified information.” The recently released texts support his point about his texts.
Gabbard went further, arguing that “there was no classified material that was shared [in the Signal group chat].” The group chat is currently being reviewed by the National Security Council.
The Trump officials discussed the impact on trade and security depending on when they timed the attack. Vice President JD Vance also expressed loathing at having to rescue the Europeans from the Houthi attacks on global trade.
“I just hate bailing Europe out again,” he said, noting that the U.S. should minimize the risk to Saudi oil facilities. Vance has been critical of the European leaders in public.
Hegseth concurred, writing, “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.”
In the chat, Hegseth also said the times of when the U.S. was going to strike the Houthis in the group chat. “Godspeed to our Warriors,” the defense secretary remarked at the end of the chat that outlined the strike timeline. “I will say a prayer for victory,” Vance replied. Later Waltz provided an update about a likely killed Houthi leader.
Jacob Adams is a journalism fellow at The Daily Signal.
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