Divided GOPs fear 'political problem' for Trump amid Signal leak saga
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Top GOP leaders caution of a looming "major political issue" for the Trump administration in an unusual display of dissent.
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, testifies as the House Intelligence Committee holds a hearing on worldwide threats, at the Capitol, Washington, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP)
In an alarming sign of division within the Republican Party, several GOP senators are demanding an investigation into the Signal leak scandal, warning that it could become a "significant political problem" for the Trump administration if not handled properly.
“This is what happens when you don’t really have your act together,” said Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski in an interview for The Hill.
The administration has been under mounting scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans following Monday’s scandalous revelation that a senior national security team accidentally added a journalist to a private Signal group chat. The encrypted messaging group, which included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others, was used to discuss sensitive military plans targeting Yemen.
On Wednesday morning, The Atlantic published another set of leaked messages containing details of the planned strike, including specific targets, launch schedules, and even weather conditions during the operation.
Senior officials were questioned about the leak on Tuesday during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe assured lawmakers that "no classified material" had been shared in the chat. However, Republican senators are now pushing for formal investigations.
According to The Hill, GOP lawmakers are urging the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee to take up the matter. Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Armed Services Committee, told the publication that he would request the Defense Department’s inspector general to launch an inquiry.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who reportedly invited The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat, took “full responsibility” for the mishap during a Fox News appearance on Tuesday night. However, he refused to explain exactly how the leak occurred, instead lashing out at Goldberg, calling him “the bottom-scum of journalists.”
“Of course I didn’t see this loser in the group, it looked like someone else,” Waltz said.
The wider context
The scandal has deepened divisions within the Republican Party, with traditional hawkish conservatives backing Waltz’s continued role in the administration while Trump-aligned figures like JD Vance push back against his more interventionist foreign policy stance. Despite the internal tensions, Waltz’s position appears secure for now, with Donald Trump calling him a “very good man.”
Even as congressional investigations loom, inconsistencies in the administration’s narrative persist. Waltz and Trump have offered conflicting explanations in separate interviews. While Waltz insisted, “Look, I take full responsibility, I built the group,” Trump suggested a different scenario.
“What it was, we believe, is somebody that was on the line with permission, somebody that worked with Mike Waltz at a lower level, had Goldberg’s number or call through the app, and somehow this guy ended up on the call,” Trump stated. His remarks were unclear, as the incident involved a text chat rather than a phone call.
Beyond the leak itself, the use of Signal for internal government discussions has sparked legal challenges. On Tuesday, watchdog group American Oversight filed a lawsuit against Trump administration officials, arguing that using the encrypted app violated the Federal Records Act. The group is seeking a court order to preserve the messages and prevent the “unlawful destruction of federal records.”
Addressing the controversy during remarks at the White House on Wednesday, Trump dismissed the situation as “a witch-hunt” and criticized Signal, claiming it could be a "defective" platform and “not very good.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters during a visit to Jamaica, acknowledged the blunder. “Someone made a big mistake and added a journalist,” he admitted.
