Ratcliffe Comments On Text Message Scandal
The Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual worldwide threat assessment hearing on Tuesday was dominated not by pressing global dangers, but by Democrats’ intense focus on an internal communications error involving Signal, a secure messaging app. At the center of the controversy was a recent story by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, revealing that he had been mistakenly added to a Signal group chat with senior U.S. officials discussing Houthi-related operations.
Democratic senators, particularly Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), used the hearing to aggressively question officials over the messaging incident, sidelining broader issues such as the actions of Russia, China, Iran, and transnational criminal organizations.
.@CIADirector: “One of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA director was Signal was loaded onto my computer … One of the things that I was briefed on very early was … the use of Signal as a permissible work use — it is.” pic.twitter.com/INE94qxikL
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, however, directly countered the insinuations being made. In a series of firm responses, he clarified that the use of Signal is standard within the intelligence community and is considered lawful and appropriate for certain types of communication.
“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,” Ratcliffe stated. He added that his staff had implemented and followed proper procedures regarding the recording of any formal decisions through appropriate channels.
.@CIADirector: “My communications, to be clear, in a Signal message group were entirely permissible and lawful — and did not include classified information.” pic.twitter.com/VsD7C3rK1R
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
Ratcliffe reiterated that no classified information was shared via the app and dismissed the notion that the chat violated protocol. “My communications, to be clear, in a Signal message group, were entirely permissible and lawful — and did not include classified information,” he said.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard supported Ratcliffe’s statement. Responding to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Gabbard affirmed that she had never participated in a group chat or any app-based communication involving classified information.
.@CIADirector: “I haven’t participated in any Signal group messaging that relates to any classified information at all.”@DNIGabbard: “I have not participated in any Signal group chat or any other chat on another app that contained any classified information.” pic.twitter.com/kJkvyqnz9E
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
A contentious exchange between Ratcliffe and Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO) further illustrated the political nature of the hearing. When Bennett suggested improper use of Signal, Ratcliffe immediately corrected him, emphasizing again that he had not used the platform for classified discussions or targeting operations.
The central issue — the accidental inclusion of Goldberg in the chat — was widely acknowledged as a mistake. While improper, it was not illegal, nor did it compromise national security. The testimony underscored that usage of Signal for routine, non-classified coordination is both accepted and longstanding across administrations.