Washington — Democrats grilled the leaders of U.S. intelligence agencies Tuesday over a security breach in which top Trump officials inadvertently included a journalist in a group chat about the United States’ highly sensitive plans to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify about global threats facing the U.S. However the annual hearing, which typically focuses on threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, largely concentrated on the lapse.
FBI Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse also appeared, but received few questions.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, addressed the controversy at the top of the hearing, calling it “mind-boggling” that none of the intelligence officials in the chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal thought to check who else was included.
“Are these government devices? Were they personal devices? Have the devices been collected to make sure there’s no malware?” Warner said in his opening remarks. “There’s plenty of declassified information that shows that our adversaries, China and Russia, are trying to break into encryption systems like Signal.”
Warner’s declaration that Gabbard and Ratcliff that the use of the group chat was part of a “pattern of an amazing cavalier attitude towards classified information is reckless, sloppy and stunning” set the tone for Democrats in the hearing.
Group chat controversy
On Monday, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, revealed that he was added to a group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal about the war plans, although Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later denied any war plans were discussed. Accounts appearing to be Gabbard and Ratcliffe both participated in the message thread, according to Goldberg.
In the group chat, which was started by President Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz, Ratcliffe allegedly shared information “that might be interpreted as related to actual and current intelligence operations,” Goldberg wrote.
The National Security Council said Monday in a statement to CBS News that the message thread “appears to be authentic.”
“If it’s not classified, share the texts now”: Democrats grill on group chat
Gabbard and Ratcliffe both denied that classified information was shared in the group chat in a feisty exchange with Warner. Confronted by Warner, Gabbard initially declined to say whether she was part of the chat.
“Because it’s all classified?” Warner said.
“Because this is currently under review,” Gabbard responded.
“If it’s not classified, share the texts now,” Warner said.
Ratcliffe confirmed to Warner that he was a participant in the message thread, but pushed back on whether the decision to use Signal to communicate was a security lapse. Ratcliffe said Signal was on his CIA computer when he was confirmed as director earlier this year.
“As it is for most CIA officers,” he said, adding that the agency considers the commercial app “permissible” for work use.
Ratcliffe confirmed to Warner that he was a participant in the message thread, but pushed back on whether the decision to use Signal to communicate was a security lapse. Ratcliffe said Signal was on his CIA computer when he was confirmed as director earlier this year. “As it is for most CIA officers,” he said, adding that the agency considers the commercial app “permissible” for work use.
“It is permissible to use to communicate and coordinate for work purposes, provided, senator, that any decisions that are made are also recorded through formal channels,” Ratcliffe said. “My communications, to be clear, in the Signal message group were entirely permissible and lawful and did not include classified information.”
Ratcliffe later told Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommended that “high-level officials who would be targeted by foreign adversaries” use “end-to-end encrypted apps whenever possible.”
The spy chiefs also denied that the conversation included information on weapons packages, targets or timing of the strikes, as Goldberg reported.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Ratcliffe said, with Gabbard adding “same answer.”
But Gabbard later told Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, that “there was discussion around targets in general,” which Ratcliffe said was consistent with his recollection. When asked whether there was any mention of a weapon or weapons system, Gabbard said she did not recall “specific weapons systems being named.” Ratcliffe also said, “I don’t recall.” Both gave similar responses when asked about timing or any mention of military units.
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia noted that, according to the messages shared by Goldberg, the timing of the strikes were debated by Vice President JD Vance and Hegseth.
“They were discussing the timing of sending U.S. air crews into enemy airspace, where they faced an air defense threat, correct?” Ossoff asked, repeating the question when Ratcliffe didn’t directly answer. “They’re talking about the timing of U.S. airstrikes, correct?”
“Yes,” Ratcliffe said.
“And therefore the timing of U.S. air crews into hostile airspace, correct?” Ossoff said.
“Yes,” Ratcliffe said.
During questioning from Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, both Ratcliffe and Gabbard also denied participating in any Signal group chats in which classified information was shared.
Gabbard told Wyden she had “no objection” to cooperating with an audit to confirm such, while Ratcliffe said he would comply with any follow up that the National Security Council deemed appropriate.
Another heated moment came during the back and forth between Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, and Ratcliffe. Bennet asked whether the CIA director knew that Mr. Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow when the group chat, which Witkoff was part of, according to Goldberg, was ongoing. Ratcliffe said he was unaware that Witkoff was in Russia. Flight data show that Witkoff was in Russia during part of the conversation, CBS News has confirmed.
“It’s an embarrassment,” Bennet said. “You need to do better.”
Gabbard acknowledged to Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, that she was overseas during at least part of the group chat discussions, though she declined to say if she was using a work or personal phone for the discussions, citing a review by the National Security Council.
Republicans say there are “unanswered questions” for a closed session
Republican Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Ted Budd of North Carolina both said they wanted to address the breach in the closed session that is taking place after the public hearing.
“It appears to me there’s some unanswered questions,” Budd said.
