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Senate Hearing Reveals Tensions Over Intelligence Communication
In a recent Senate hearing, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) engaged in a heated exchange with intelligence officials from the Trump administration regarding the nature of information shared through a Signal group chat concerning U.S. military operations in Yemen.
During the session, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was questioned about her involvement in a Signal group chat, which was brought to light by Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who had inadvertently found himself included in the conversation.
While Gabbard refrained from confirming her participation outright, she continuously emphasized that the matter was “currently under review.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe, however, acknowledged his presence in the group chat.
This led to a confrontational moment with Warner as the officials resisted his requests to present the Signal messages for examination, amidst concerns surrounding the potential inclusion of classified details. The Trump administration has made it clear that it intends to intensify its efforts to counteract unauthorized leaks of sensitive information.
“Senator, I’ll reiterate that there was no classified material that was shared,” Gabbard asserted during the debate.
Goldberg noted that the conversation had encompassed “operational details,” including specific targets for U.S. strikes that would generally be classified, as well as the identity of an intelligence officer involved.
Warner challenged Gabbard, stating, “If there was no classified material, share it with the committee. You can’t have it both ways,” emphasizing the gravity of the situation concerning national security. He criticized the evasive responses from the officials, saying, “These are important jobs. This is our national security bobbing and weaving and trying to filibuster.”
Further intensifying the discussion, Warner recalled Gabbard’s previous comments on social media regarding the serious nature of unauthorized disclosures of classified information. Gabbard countered by distinguishing between an inadvertent release and what she described as “careless and sloppy, malicious leaks.” She reiterated that no classified information had been disclosed.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the use of Signal for official communications, Ratcliffe informed the committee that his engagement in the group chat was sanctioned. “When I was confirmed as CIA director, Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA as it is for most CIA officers. One of the things that I was briefed on very early, senator, was by the CIA records management folks about the use of Signal as a permissible work use,” Ratcliffe clarified.
Source
thehill.com