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Mike Waltz, national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, has publicly accepted complete responsibility for a significant leak concerning military strategies that occurred in a Signal chat. This situation has drawn attention and concern in political circles, especially after Trump intervened on Waltz’s behalf, describing the incident as “the only glitch in two months.”
In an interview with Fox News, Waltz acknowledged the gravity of the mishap, stating, “I take full responsibility. I built the group. My job is to make sure everything is coordinated.” He went on to characterize the situation as “embarrassing,” highlighting the sensitive nature of the information that was discussed, which involved planned U.S. airstrikes on Yemen.
Mike Waltz claims ‘full responsibility’ for Signal, but can’t explain how it happened
During the interview, when pressed by Laura Ingraham of Fox News, Waltz maintained his stance on accepting accountability for the incident while also deflecting some of the criticism toward others. He mentioned that the group included notable figures such as Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Waltz described his frustration regarding the lack of clarity about how the mistake occurred, referencing consulting with tech experts, including Elon Musk, to investigate the circumstances.
“It’s embarrassing, yes. We’re going to get to the bottom of it,” Waltz stated, emphasizing the importance of preventing future breaches.
Democrats demand answers over ‘careless’ Signal blunder
The incident prompted immediate backlash from Democratic senators who have called for accountability from U.S. intelligence leaders. They criticized the leak, describing it as “sloppy” and “careless,” emphasizing the potential risks it posed to national security.
During a Senate intelligence committee hearing, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe, faced sharp questioning from Democrats. Senator Michael Bennet condemned the event as reflective of “swampiness,” “incompetence,” and an overall “embarrassment” for the administration. Further inquiries from lawmakers are expected later this week.
Leak shows Five Eyes allies must ‘look out for ourselves’, says Mark Carney
In response to the fallout from the leak, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed concern that allied nations might need to adopt a more self-reliant stance in the future as trust deteriorates with the United States. Carney underscored the seriousness of the security lapse, urging that profound lessons must be learned from this incident.
Pentagon warned staffers against using Signal
Amid the security concerns raised by the recent breach, the Pentagon had previously cautioned its employees against using Signal due to certain technical vulnerabilities. A special bulletin from the Pentagon highlighted risks that Russian hacking groups could manipulate these vulnerabilities to potentially spy on sensitive communications.
Trump administration claims details of mass deportations are state secrets
In a separate matter, the Trump administration has invoked the “state secrets” privilege to limit the disclosure of information to a federal judge regarding controversial immigrant expulsions occurring under the Alien Enemies Act.
Judge rules Columbia protester can’t be detained as she fights deportation
A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that Yunseo Chung, a Columbia University student facing deportation due to her participation in protests advocating for Gaza, cannot be detained while she contests the deportation order. Chung, a green card holder since the age of seven, has accused the Trump administration of misusing immigration enforcement to suppress free speech.
Trump signs executive order that will upend US voter registration processes
In another significant move, Donald Trump has enacted an executive order poised to radically transform voter registration practices across the United States. The order contains restrictions that, if implemented, could disenfranchise millions of voters. Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, characterized it as “the farthest reaching executive action taken” in U.S. history, reflecting ongoing concerns regarding immigration and electoral integrity.
Trump outburst prompts removal of his ‘distorted’ portrait
A portrait of Donald Trump, commissioned by supporters, was removed from the Colorado state capitol following his complaint that the representation was “purposefully distorted.” The portrait had been displayed since 2019.
What else happened today:
The University of Southern California has imposed an immediate hiring freeze for staff positions, allowing for only a few critical exceptions, in preparation for anticipated budget cuts from the Trump administration.
US consumer confidence has reached its lowest point in over four years as of March, as households express growing concerns about a potential recession and rising inflation attributed to Trump’s tariffs.
Catching up? Here’s what happened Monday, 24 March.
Source
www.theguardian.com