The Signal Scandal: Pressure Mounts on the White House
A US Judge Orders the Government to Preserve Messages
A US judge ordered Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday to preserve messages from a chat group used by top national security officials to discuss plans for an attack on Yemen’s Huthi rebels. This ruling adds to the pressure on the White House after the Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor had been accidentally added to the group on the commercially-available Signal app.
The Controversy Intensifies
Republican Trump has dismissed the scandal as a “witch-hunt” while attacking the Atlantic and its editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who broke the story earlier this week. Trump has also launched a fresh attack on District Judge James Boasberg, calling him “highly conflicted” and saying it was “disgraceful” that he was dealing with the Signal case.
The Ruling
District Judge James Boasberg, who has already incurred Trump’s wrath after ruling against the administration in a separate migration case, said he would order the government to “preserve all Signal communication between March 11 and March 15.” He also ordered the government to file details by Monday showing the steps it had taken to preserve the messages.
The Atlantic’s Revelations
The Atlantic magazine published the full chat on Wednesday, including sensational messages in which Hegseth revealed the timings of strikes hours before they happened and details of planes and missiles used. Waltz sent real-time intelligence on the aftermath of an attack, writing that US forces had identified the target “walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.”
The White House’s Response
Trump has largely pinned the blame on Waltz – saying he had admitted he was “responsible” – while denying that any classified material was shared in the group. He has also dismissed calls by Democrats for top officials to resign and insisted instead on what he called the success of the raids on the Yemeni rebels.
Pressure Mounts
Pressure continues to mount on the White House over “Signalgate.” The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee issued a bipartisan call on Thursday for a Pentagon watchdog to probe the claims in the Atlantic. “If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information,” said a letter from Republican committee chair Roger Wicker and ranking Democrat Jack Reed.
Conclusion
The Signal scandal has raised serious questions about potential intelligence risks and the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive information. The White House has been under intense pressure to explain the security breach and to address concerns about the potential risks to national security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Signal scandal?
A: The Signal scandal refers to a security breach in which top national security officials used a commercially-available Signal app to discuss plans for an attack on Yemen’s Huthi rebels, with the editor of the Atlantic magazine accidentally added to the group.
Q: How did the breach occur?
A: The breach occurred when National Security Advisor Mike Waltz set up the chat group and mistakenly added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of the Atlantic magazine, to the group.
Q: What is the significance of the Signal scandal?
A: The Signal scandal has raised serious questions about potential intelligence risks and the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive information. It has also put pressure on the White House to explain the security breach and to address concerns about the potential risks to national security.