After the signal mishap Confidential information leaked - but Trump does what he always does
After the Signal chat mishap, Donald Trump stands behind security advisor Mike Waltz - and publicly plays down the matter. A full investigation has not yet been announced.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Security advisor Waltz took responsibility after the signal mishap, but remains in office.
- Trump calls the incident "the only small mistake" of his administration.
- The use of Signal for sensitive information is now being reviewed internally.
Following the embarrassing revelation that a journalist was accidentally included in a group chat discussion about a US military strike in Yemen, US President Donald Trump has demonstratively backed his National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. As reported by "CNN", Trump described the affair as "the only small mistake" of his young administration - and emphasized: "I think he's doing a good job."
Behind the scenes , however, the incident is causing massive debate. In the chat in question on the encrypted app Signal, high-ranking members of the government had discussed plans for attacks on Houthi positions, among other things - and apparently inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. A circumstance that put the White House in a precarious position.
Trump, who has disliked Goldberg since an earlier investigative report, was approached by reporters shortly after the slip-up became known. He initially appeared clueless, but later tried to reassure them: "Sometimes people are in a group without realizing it."
No public reappraisal
Waltz himself publicly took responsibility. "I created the group. My job is to coordinate," he said on Fox News. However, he failed to explain how a journalist could have become involved. At the same time, he attacked Goldberg personally.
So far, only Waltz has taken public responsibility. The remaining members of the Trump administration are trying to play down the incident. A full investigation has not yet been announced.
In the White House, every effort was made on Tuesday to regain control of communications. Trump appeared before the press at short notice, signed decrees on core conservative issues and distracted from the incident by announcing new measures on voter registration and the disclosure of FBI documents on the Russia affair.
In the Oval Office, Trump even demonstratively took Waltz to the Cabinet table alongside his ambassadorial nominees - an unmistakable sign of support. "I think it was very unfair the way they attacked Michael," said Trump. However, the fact that he commented publicly on the affair at all is likely to show how serious it is, according to assessments.
The incident is causing visible unrest within the government. CIA chief John Ratcliffe and intelligence coordinator Tulsi Gabbard had to reschedule their congressional hearings at short notice, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was "visibly upset" when he landed in Hawaii, according to CNN.
In the White House, efforts are being made to dismiss the incident as a technical oversight. Trump himself indicated that Signal would no longer be used for sensitive communications in future: "I don't think we'll be using it again."
However, not everyone in Trump's circle is so relaxed about the matter. Even some Republican senators are calling for consequences. Kevin Cramer said: "This must be the last time something this stupid happens." It was "a big first mistake - maybe even two at once."
