According to claims, the team of US National Security Advisor Waltz has set up at least 20 chat groups on various foreign policy topics, where sensitive information is shared. The controversy that began with President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz creating a messaging group regarding attacks on the Houthis in Yemen and adding Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic magazine continues in the US. Reports in the US media claim that Waltz’s team has established at least 20 Signal groups to discuss crises worldwide. Four individuals who have been added to these Signal groups themselves told Politico news site that Waltz’s team regularly creates messaging groups to coordinate formal work on a range of topics from Ukraine to China, Gaza to the Middle East and Africa. Two sources mentioned they are part of at least 20 messaging groups or have direct knowledge of them. All four sources reported witnessing moments in which sensitive information was discussed in these Signal groups. Politico’s report revealed that the Signal online messaging application is more widely used than previously reported in the media or officially announced.

One person in these messaging groups stated that creating messaging groups on any national security issue is a common practice, with cabinet members and high-ranking officials often being included. Four sources, whose identities were kept secret because they did not have the authorization to speak publicly on the matter, stated that they were not aware of any sharing of classified information in the messaging groups, but emphasized that discussions in the groups contained sensitive details about national security work.

A source who is part of multiple messaging groups reported that Waltz ‘built the entire National Security Council (NSC) communication process on Signal’. Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic was added to the messaging chain where “war plans” against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen were discussed. According to Goldberg, he was first included in the Signal group consisting of national security officials, and then, details about the attacks on Yemen were revealed in a message sent by Hegseth. On the other hand, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth defended that Goldberg did not see any war or attack plans and criticized the media for spreading deception. Waltz also argued that Goldberg’s number was not saved in his contacts and suggested that his number may have been “pulled” into the group in some way. The magazine reported on all messages shared in the Signal group after these statements were made.