Democrats assert that Signal conversations underscore a trend of lax security practices among Trump officials
During the annual worldwide threats meeting, senators and intelligence officials discussed both internal and external threats facing the U.S.
TroibNews 
Democrats on the Senate intelligence panel fiercely questioned Trump administration officials on Tuesday regarding their involvement in a Signal group chat that addressed war plans, expanding their criticisms to highlight what they see as a troubling pattern of lax security under President Donald Trump.
“I think this is one more example of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior, particularly towards classified information," said Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner during the annual worldwide threats hearing. “The Signal fiasco is not a one-off."
Five of the nation's top intelligence officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, were testifying about significant threats facing the United States and global stability, including potential dangers from China and Iran.
This hearing took place just a day after The Atlantic revealed a critical report indicating that Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal chat with top Trump administration officials, discussing plans to strike Yemen.
Gabbard noted that the use of the Signal chat was under review. Ratcliffe confirmed his participation while defending the use of the encrypted messaging app for discussing war plans, claiming he believed it was acceptable for work purposes.
The Atlantic reported that Ratcliffe disclosed highly sensitive information during the conversation, including the name of an active intelligence officer, whose identity is typically protected. Ratcliffe responded by saying that the officer was not operating under cover and typically facilitates discussions between the CIA and the White House.
Despite this, Ratcliffe insisted that no classified information was shared in the chat.
During one of the most intense exchanges of the hearing, Sen. Michael Bennet criticized Ratcliffe for his involvement in the chat. “It’s an embarrassment,” he stated. “You need to do better.”
Bennet pointed out that the president's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was part of the chat while on a trip to Moscow, where Russian intelligence agencies are notably effective at intercepting communications from U.S. officials.
Warner urged Gabbard to provide copies of the chat messages to the committee and accused her of "bobbing and weaving" while attempting to "filibuster" her responses.
Sen. Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate intelligence panel, refrained from directly addressing the issue during his remarks, aside from commending the strike itself.
“These outlaws have suffered terrible losses over the last two weeks thanks to decisive action from President Trump and our brave troops,” Cotton remarked about the Yemen strike. “I commend the president, Mike Waltz, Pete Hegseth, and his entire national security team for these actions.”
Cotton also took the opportunity to criticize the intelligence community as a whole, stating that U.S. intelligence agencies are “inadequate” in supplying the president and Congress with necessary information to safeguard the country.
He expressed frustration over what he described as bureaucratic bloat and “social engineering” within the intelligence agencies, which he believes detracts from their primary mission of gathering threat-related information.
“After years of drift, the intelligence community must return to its core mission,” he asserted.
FBI Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency head Gen. Timothy Haugh, and Defense Intelligence Agency leader Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse were also present at the hearing, where they aimed to remain focused on the topic of threats to U.S. national security and global stability.
Gabbard began her comments by highlighting the dangers posed by non-state criminal organizations, including drug cartels. Cotton noted in his opening remarks that for the first time, the intelligence community's annual threat assessment identified cartels as a threat to the United States.
Gabbard also named China as the United States' “most capable” strategic competitor.
The ongoing war in Ukraine was briefly referenced in Gabbard's remarks, relating primarily to its effect on pushing Russia closer to other authoritarian regimes, including China, Iran, and North Korea.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
“I think this is one more example of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior, particularly towards classified information," said Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner during the annual worldwide threats hearing. “The Signal fiasco is not a one-off."
Five of the nation's top intelligence officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, were testifying about significant threats facing the United States and global stability, including potential dangers from China and Iran.
This hearing took place just a day after The Atlantic revealed a critical report indicating that Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal chat with top Trump administration officials, discussing plans to strike Yemen.
Gabbard noted that the use of the Signal chat was under review. Ratcliffe confirmed his participation while defending the use of the encrypted messaging app for discussing war plans, claiming he believed it was acceptable for work purposes.
The Atlantic reported that Ratcliffe disclosed highly sensitive information during the conversation, including the name of an active intelligence officer, whose identity is typically protected. Ratcliffe responded by saying that the officer was not operating under cover and typically facilitates discussions between the CIA and the White House.
Despite this, Ratcliffe insisted that no classified information was shared in the chat.
During one of the most intense exchanges of the hearing, Sen. Michael Bennet criticized Ratcliffe for his involvement in the chat. “It’s an embarrassment,” he stated. “You need to do better.”
Bennet pointed out that the president's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was part of the chat while on a trip to Moscow, where Russian intelligence agencies are notably effective at intercepting communications from U.S. officials.
Warner urged Gabbard to provide copies of the chat messages to the committee and accused her of "bobbing and weaving" while attempting to "filibuster" her responses.
Sen. Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate intelligence panel, refrained from directly addressing the issue during his remarks, aside from commending the strike itself.
“These outlaws have suffered terrible losses over the last two weeks thanks to decisive action from President Trump and our brave troops,” Cotton remarked about the Yemen strike. “I commend the president, Mike Waltz, Pete Hegseth, and his entire national security team for these actions.”
Cotton also took the opportunity to criticize the intelligence community as a whole, stating that U.S. intelligence agencies are “inadequate” in supplying the president and Congress with necessary information to safeguard the country.
He expressed frustration over what he described as bureaucratic bloat and “social engineering” within the intelligence agencies, which he believes detracts from their primary mission of gathering threat-related information.
“After years of drift, the intelligence community must return to its core mission,” he asserted.
FBI Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency head Gen. Timothy Haugh, and Defense Intelligence Agency leader Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse were also present at the hearing, where they aimed to remain focused on the topic of threats to U.S. national security and global stability.
Gabbard began her comments by highlighting the dangers posed by non-state criminal organizations, including drug cartels. Cotton noted in his opening remarks that for the first time, the intelligence community's annual threat assessment identified cartels as a threat to the United States.
Gabbard also named China as the United States' “most capable” strategic competitor.
The ongoing war in Ukraine was briefly referenced in Gabbard's remarks, relating primarily to its effect on pushing Russia closer to other authoritarian regimes, including China, Iran, and North Korea.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
