President Donald Trump instructed a reporter to cease inquiries regarding the ongoing “Signalgate” controversy affecting his administration, labeling questions about the encrypted messaging issue as “wasted.”
During a press interaction aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump displayed frustration when questioned about the inspector general’s investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s utilization of the Signal messaging app for discussing sensitive military operations.
“What is it?” Trump initially asked, appearing uncertain of the inquiry.
After the reporter clarified her question regarding “an IG investigation into the secretary of defense’s use of the Signal app,” Trump’s mood shifted.
“Oh, is that? You’re bringing that up again?” Trump responded. “Don’t bring that up again. Your editor’s probably, that’s such a wasted story.”
The reporter shifted to another topic, but the brief exchange has reignited debate concerning the administration’s handling of the scandal that began when National Security Advisor Michael Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat discussing military plans in Yemen and other sensitive security topics.
The Pentagon’s acting inspector general initiated the investigation at the Senate Armed Services Committee’s request to determine if Hegseth and other officials followed Department of Defense policies on using messaging apps for official business and complied with classification and records retention requirements.
While the Trump administration has consistently claimed that no classified information was shared in the Signal chats, current and former military officials have questioned this claim, pointing out that the level of detail shared about military strikes – including specific timing of warplane launches and bomb drops – would typically be classified information.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has attempted to downplay the controversy, stating that steps have been taken to prevent similar incidents and declaring the case “closed.” However, the inspector general’s investigation remains active, with reviews taking place in Washington, D.C., and at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
The scandal has expanded beyond the initial leaked chat. According to reporting from The Guardian, Waltz’s team has created at least 20 different Signal group chats to coordinate sensitive national security work, raising further questions about the administration’s information security practices and potential violations of federal record-keeping laws.
Democrats called for Hegseth and Waltz to resign over the incident. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, has been particularly vocal about the need for accountability. Republican senators, including James Lankford and Roger Wicker, have also supported the probe, though Lankford characterized calls for Hegseth’s resignation as “overkill.”
Trump has previously stated he will not dismiss anyone involved in the Signal scandal and expressed continued confidence in Waltz. The president has characterized the incident as a “glitch” that had “no impact at all” operationally, and more recently described the ongoing criticism as “the Radical Left’s Witch Hunt.”
Critics have taken to social media to urge reporters to continue pressing the issue. Journalist Mehdi Hasan criticized both Trump’s reaction and the media’s response, writing: “Not sure what’s worse, the reporter asking a softball do you want to weigh in on that [Signalgate] or the reporter immediately moving onto another topic when Trump demands, like a little baby, that she doesn’t bring that up again.”
The Atlantic had requested permission to publish the full text of the Signal chat they received access to, but was denied by the administration on the grounds that it contained sensitive information, seemingly contradicting the White House’s position that no sensitive material was shared. Nevertheless, The Atlantic proceeded to publish the messages on its website, highlighting the administration’s contradictory stance on the sensitivity of the information.
The broader controversy has raised significant questions about information security practices within the Trump administration. Reports indicate that beyond the Signal app usage, some government officials have been using personal Gmail accounts for official business, potentially compromising sensitive information and violating federal record-keeping requirements.
The bipartisan nature of the investigation is notable, with the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee jointly requesting the Pentagon probe. This indicates the seriousness with which lawmakers view the potential security breach, despite the administration’s efforts to minimize its significance.
As the inspector general’s investigation continues, the incident has highlighted tensions between transparency, security protocols, and the handling of sensitive military information within the executive branch.