National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s testimony before the Senate is going to disappoint Democrats seeking to exploit the news about a journalist being added to a group chat involving discussion about military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), initiated a particularly contentious exchange with Gabbard over her supposed role in accidentally discussing war plans in a chat room that included The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. He asked whether classified materials were shared in the group chat.
“There was no classified material that was shared in that chat,” Gabbard said before Warner cut her off to ask why she was not sharing the details of the discussions with the Senate.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 25, 2025
There was no classified materials that was shared in that Signal chat.pic.twitter.com/cI5mlFooBS
Warner’s interrogation of Gabbard was quite embarrassing – he continued peppering her with questions while refusing to allow her to answer. It was clear he was more intent on grandstanding than getting to the truth of what happened.
But despite Warner’s posturing, he did not get the “gotcha” moment he sought. If there was no sensitive or classified information shared in that chat, then this whole thing amounts to a silly mistake that caused no harm to national security.
Indeed, CIA Director John Ratcliffe hammered the other nail into the coffin of the Democrats’ narrative on this incident when he explained how using Signal to coordinate meetings and action was normal.
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Ratcliffe noted that “one of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA director was Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA, as it is for most CIA officers.”
He further stated, “One of the things that I was briefed on very early … was by the CIA records management folks about the use of Signal as a permissible work use.”
He concluded: “That is a practice that preceded the current administration to the Biden administration.
🚨CIA Director Ratcliffe: "One of the things that I was briefed on very early was the use of Signal as a permissible work use!" pic.twitter.com/lA8VPU8lQU
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 25, 2025
So, not only was no classified information shared in the Signal chat, using this app is commonplace for people in these positions.
Gabbard and Ratcliffe denied the Democrats the narrative they so desperately sought to use against the Trump administration.
Yes, accidentally inviting Goldberg into the chat was a mistake. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who is alleged to have sent the invitation, has received his fair share of criticism. But President Donald Trump didn’t seem to believe the mistake was worth losing his job.
The president indicated that Waltz “has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man” during an interview with NBC News. He further explained that it was one of Waltz’s staffers who accidentally invited Goldberg to the chat and that his presence had “no impact at all” on the military operation against the Houthis. He said this incident was “the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one.”
That last part is what will kill any Democratic effort to use this fiasco against the administration. The reality is that there is no “there” there. It was a silly goof-up that had no serious ramifications for national security in the end. If Republicans continue to play this right, this whole situation will likely blow over by the end of the week.
Editor's Note: The radical left-wing media is doing everything it can to blow this story out of proportion and certainly can't be trusted to report the facts.
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