As a follow-on to Tuesday’s hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding the annual national threat assessment, a corresponding hearing was held Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee. Like Tuesday’s hearing, the witnesses before the House committee included DNI Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, NSA Director Timothy Haugh, and DIA Director Jeffrey Kruse.
Gabbard presented a full statement to kick off the hearing, one which addressed the elephant in the room — the recent Atlantic story by Jeffrey Goldberg that has feathers ruffled over the Signal chat between members of the national security team regarding a planned attack on Houthi rebels.
While Tuesday’s hearing featured Democrat senators seizing the moment to lambast the witnesses over the incident, in the intervening hours, a lawsuit was filed by the group “American Oversight” against Gabbard, Ratcliffe, in addition to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State JD Vance, and Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent for purported violations of the Federal Records Act.
READ MORE: The Atlantic Releases Full Signal Message Chain, and It’s Underwhelming
While the bulk of her opening statement addressed the actual threat assessment, Gabbard closed out her remarks by addressing the Signal situation.
🚨DNI Tulsi Gabbard addresses new reporting from The Atlantic:
“It was a mistake to that a reporter was inadvertently added to a signal chat with high level national security principles, having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the… pic.twitter.com/F3j3XY8A7b
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 26, 2025
GABBARD: It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added to a Signal chat with high-level national security principles, having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the strike. The National Security Adviser has taken full responsibility for this, and the National Security Council is conducting an in-depth review, along with technical experts working to determine how this reporter was inadvertently added to this chat.
The conversation was candid and sensitive. But as the President and National Security Adviser stated, no classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations, or war plans that were shared. This was a standard update to the National Security Cabinet that was provided alongside updates that were given to foreign partners in the region.
Gabbard then punctuated her statement with an added wrinkle that those eager to pounce on the situation may have overlooked:
DNI Tulsi Gabbard on Signal App usage: A lawsuit was filed yesterday on this issue. As a result of that pending litigation, I am limited in my ability to comment further on that specific case. pic.twitter.com/VMVZ9nFTg1
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 26, 2025
GABBARD: The Signal message app comes preinstalled on government devices. In December of 2024, CISA stated, “We strongly urge highly targeted individuals to immediately review and apply best practices provided in the guidance to protect mobile communications, including consistent use of end-to-end encryption.” And they named Signal as an example of such an end-to-end encrypted messaging app.
Ideally, these conversations occur in person. However, at times, fast-moving coordination of an unclassified nature is necessary where in-person conversation is not an option.
I’m also aware that a lawsuit was filed yesterday on this issue. As a result of that pending litigation, I am limited in my ability to comment further on that specific case. My Office of General Counsel will be in close contact with the Department of Justice on this matter.
Whoops! Well, that complicates things a wee bit, now, doesn’t it? In fairness, the hearing, which is ongoing as I write this, has included some further questioning on the incident (because that apparently is the most paramount national security threat, at least, according to the committee’s Democrats). But it is rather rich that in the haste to exact a pound of flesh on this via the court system, the Dems may have hampered their ability to do so in front of the hearing cameras.
Editor’s Note: The Deep State is working overtime to subvert President Trump’s agenda and the will of the people.
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