Gabbard Rejects Claims of Classified Info Leak on Signal Chat

Three of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members defended the administration’s conduct at a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday, shortly after a follow-up report from The Atlantic showing messages related to a military attack on Houthis in Yemen that were inadvertently sent to its editor-in-chief.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe both rejected Democrats’ claims that the Signal chat’s exposures constituted a leak of classified information.

At the end of her opening statement, Gabbard acknowledged the unfortunate nature of the leak.

“It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added to a Signal chat with high-level national security principals having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the strike,” said Gabbard, who added that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had taken responsibility and was investigating the incident.

However, Gabbard also rejected the idea that classified material was transmitted.

“The conversation was candid and sensitive, but as the president’s national security adviser stated, no classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations, or war plans that were shared,” she said.

Much of the hearing became a back-and-forth between Gabbard and Democrat members of Congress over whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s message laying out the time frame for the attack on Houthis in Yemen should be considered classified information.

When Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., questioned Gabbard on whether the exposed messages would be classified under her own standards as DNI, Gabbard replied that Hegseth’s standards for classification are his prerogative.

“Ultimately, the secretary of defense holds the authority to classify or declassify,” she said.

Ratcliffe also pushed back against The Atlantic’s reporting, accusing its Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg of deliberate falsehoods and exaggerations.

“Those messages were revealed today and revealed that I did not transmit classified information and that the reporter, who I don’t know, I think intentionally intended it to indicate that,” said Ratcliffe.

“That reporter also indicated that I had released the name of an undercover CIA operative in that Signal chat. In fact, I had released the name of my chief of staff, who is not operating undercover. That was deliberately false and misleading.”

Ratcliffe concluded by categorically rejecting all claims that he had acted improperly.

“I used an appropriate channel to communicate sensitive information. It was permissible to do so. I didn’t transfer any classified information. And at the end of the day, what is most important is that the mission was a remarkable success. … Because that’s what did happen, not what possibly could have happened.”

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