The White House has announced that it considers the case surrounding a leaked Signal chat to be "closed." During a press briefing on March 31, 2025, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated President Donald Trump’s backing of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who faced scrutiny after the incident.
Leavitt explained that the administration has taken steps to prevent similar leaks in the future. She emphasized that Waltz remains a vital member of Trump’s national security team. "As the president has made it very clear, Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team," Leavitt stated. She added that the White House is moving forward and believes the country is safer due to the leadership of Waltz and his team.
The controversy erupted after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed he was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat that included top security officials, such as Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The chat reportedly discussed military plans concerning Houthi rebels in Yemen. Critics, particularly from the Democratic Party, raised concerns about the implications of such a security breach.
Despite the backlash, the Trump administration has maintained that no classified information was shared in the chat. President Trump has publicly defended Waltz, stating that he does not need to apologize for the incident. In a recent interview, Waltz took responsibility for the error, explaining that he believed someone else was supposed to be in the group instead of Goldberg.
Leavitt also mentioned that the investigation into the leak involves the National Security Council, the White House Counsel’s Office, and even Elon Musk’s technical team, who are assisting in determining how the journalist was inadvertently added to the chat.
The Signal app, known for its encryption, is designed to keep communications private. However, the incident has raised questions about its security and the protocols in place for sensitive discussions.
In response to the media coverage of the leak, Trump criticized the press, calling the story stale and claiming it distracts from his administration’s successes. He expressed frustration that the media focuses on this issue instead of his administration’s achievements.
As the White House moves on from this incident, it remains to be seen how this will impact the administration’s approach to communication security in the future.