US senators demand investigation into Pentagon Signal chat scandal

The Republican chair and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee have called for an investigation into a scandal involving the unauthorized inclusion of a senior journalist in a private Signal app group chat where top U.S. officials discussed military operations in Yemen.

In a letter to Steven Stebbins, the acting inspector general at the Department of Defense, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island highlighted reports that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was added to a Signal chat on 11 March 2025. This chat reportedly included members of the National Security Council and discussions of classified military actions, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“This chat was alleged to have included classified information pertaining to sensitive military actions in Yemen,” the bipartisan letter stated. “If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know.”

The senators have requested a full assessment of the incident, including an examination of the facts, any remedial actions taken, and a review of Pentagon policies concerning classified information. They also called for an evaluation of interdepartmental policies on handling sensitive material, an investigation into potential leaks, and recommendations to prevent future breaches. Additionally, they plan to schedule a briefing with Stebbins.

The controversy stems from an apparent security lapse by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who created the Signal group and added Goldberg, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who allegedly shared sensitive details, including the timing of an airstrike on the Houthis in Yemen. Both Waltz and Hegseth have denied any wrongdoing, instead criticising The Atlantic and its editor.

Despite bipartisan outrage on Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump has so far refrained from taking any action against those involved, and no resignations have been tendered.

Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, acknowledged the gravity of the situation in an interview with CNN. “We recognize the seriousness of this indiscretion, and we’re going to get the inspector general’s report we’ve asked for … and that means the bottom line, we want as much information as we can get, and then we’ll do our own assessment.”

Rounds added, “But right now, I think they screwed up. I think they know they screwed up. I think they also learned their lesson, and I think the president made it very clear to them that this is a lesson they don’t want to forget.”

Former CIA Director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also weighed in, calling the incident a “serious breach” of national security. Speaking to CNN, Panetta insisted that those responsible should be “punished and fired,” warning that such lapses could erode the confidence of U.S. allies in sharing sensitive intelligence.

The unfolding scandal underscores concerns about the handling of classified information at the highest levels of the U.S. government and raises fresh questions about the safeguards in place to prevent such breaches.

By Vugar Khalilov