Donald Trump called the debacle around the Signal chat breach a „witch hunt“ after new messages from the Houthi strike chat between officials, which The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief was mistakenly added to, were published. Follow the latest here.
Wednesday 26 March 2025 23:03, UK
But we’ll be back tomorrow with more updates on the Signal breach debacle.
Today, The Atlantic magazine published what it said was a timeline of war plans shared by the US defence secretary in a group chat that mistakenly included a journalist.
The latest revelation came after the White House sought to downplay the leak of information about plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen – saying no classified information had been disclosed.
The plan was shared in a group chat on messaging app Signal that included senior government officials, including Vice President JD Vance and defence secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Here are the other key lines from tonight:
The last few days have all been centred around one group chat set up on Signal – an encrypted messaging app.
The group included some of the most senior individuals in the sitting Trump administration.
And then a journalist was added to it.
Read the article below for more information on what was discussed and by whom…
Earlier today, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Signal was an „approved“ app (see our 5.24pm post).
But in an October 2023 memo, the Department of Defence said the app was: „NOT authorised to access, transmit, process non-public DoD information.“
In one passage of the nine-page document, it read: „Unmanaged ‚messaging apps,‘ including any app with a chat feature, regardless of the primary function, are NOT authorised to access, transmit, process non-public DoD information.
„This includes but is not limited to messaging, gaming, and social media apps. (i.e., iMessage, WhatsApps, Signal).“
Speaking yesterday, Donald Trump said that the app was frequently used within the US government and the army.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has issued a response to Donald Trump’s tariffs announcement.
She said she „deeply regrets“ the US decision and will continue to seek negotiated solutions.
Here is what she has said…
Earlier, Trump said he would introduce a 25% tariff on all cars not made in the US, signing an executive order on it.
He also touched on what he has branded Liberation Day – 2 April – when many of his promised import tariffs will kick in.
Donald Trump was just asked a question on the Signal chat security breach.
However, halfway through the reporter’s question, he interrupted, saying: „Hold on a second,“.
He then went to another reporter, who asked about tariffs.
When another reporter asked a follow-up, Trump claimed: „It’s all a witch hunt.“
He went on to claim, without evidence, the Houthis wanted peace.
„That’s the thing you should be talking about,“ he said.
Reporters continued to press him on the topic.
Trump said he was „not sure“ when asked if anything classified was shared.
Some of the top members of his administration previously said that no classified information had been shared.
Earlier today, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had been speaking to Trump about the chat.
So far, Donald Trump has stuck to message, talking about tariffs and the auto industry in America.
He said he would introduce a 25% tariff on all cars not made in the US, signing an executive order on it.
He also touched on what he has branded Liberation Day – 2 April – when many of his promised import tariffs will kick in.
Trump has approached tariffs as a panacea for his economic ills so far, using them frequently.
Stick with us for anything more on the security breach.
Watch live as US President Donald Trump discusses the tariffs he’s bringing in on the car industry.
If he strays onto the security breach, we’ll bring you the latest news.
He was due to speak at 8pm, but overran speaking at a Women’s History Month event earlier.
Watch live in the stream at the top of the page – and we’ll bring you the latest here too.
Marjorie Taylor-Greene has become the most aggressive spokesperson for the „Make America Great Again“ movement.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that she would read straight from a fraying playbook when confronted about the Signal group chat fiasco.
Team Trump has adopted a crisis management strategy of attack, discredit and distract, a dark art of which Taylor-Greene is emerging as a master.
When questioned about whether the texts on the group chat, detailing timings and weapons to be used on strikes on Houthis in Yemen, amount to classified information, she refused to answer the question.
The representative from Georgia attempted to deflect attention onto the Biden administration, then onto the US’s border problem and finally, in a remarkable act of contortion, onto „all the women that are raped by migrants“ in the UK.
Refusing to answer a question from Sky News, she then turned to a question from a US reporter – who also asked for clarification on her views about the Signal scandal and its national security ramifications.
Eventually, Taylor-Greene did respond to The Atlantic magazine’s revelation of texts on the signal group chat, fully backing defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, who is facing calls for his resignation.
In case you missed it, here is Kelner’s encounter with Taylor-Greene…
Some more US security news now, but stepping briefly away from the Signalgate breach.
Denmark has welcomed the US decision to limit its trip to Greenland.
The trip has been confined to just visiting a military base, after plans triggered a spat between Copenhagen and Washington.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that a scheduled visit by Usha Vance, the wife of vice president JD Vance, to a popular dog-sled race in Greenland this week was part of an „unacceptable pressure“ on the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Frederiksen vowed to resist the pressure, but warned: „President Trump’s interest in Greenland is not going away.“
But the White House went on to announce that the visit will be limited to the US base at Pituffik in northern Greenland.
„This is clearly a de-escalation,“ Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
„I think it’s very positive that the Americans cancelled their visit to the Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that,“ he said.
For context:
Trump previously said he thinks the US will annex Greenland.
During an Oval Office meeting with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte earlier this month, he was asked about his hopes to take the land.
„I think that will happen,“ he said. „I didn’t give it much thought before, but I’m sitting with a man who could be very instrumental.“
Greenland has been controlled by Denmark for centuries, first as a colony, then as a semi-sovereign territory.
It is subject to the Danish constitution, meaning any change to its legal status would require a constitutional amendment.
A powerful Republican senator has called for an independent investigation of the security breach in the Trump administration.
Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he and senator Jack Reed, the panel’s top Democrat, would ask Donald Trump’s administration to expedite an Inspector General report and provide a classified briefing.
He said: „We are signing a letter today asking the administration to expedite an IG report back to the committee.
„We’re sending a similar letter to the administration in an attempt to get ground truth,“ Wicker told reporters at the Capitol.
„The information as published recently appears to me to be of such a sensitive nature that, based on my knowledge, I would have wanted it classified,“ he said.
The defence department’s inspector general, a nonpartisan official charged with rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, was one of several officials Trump has fired since beginning his second term in January.
He has not been replaced.
Wicker said he was nonetheless confident the Pentagon would go through with an inspector general report.
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US security breach latest: Trump calls Signal breach debacle a 'witch hunt' – as defence secretary swears in response – Sky News
