Walz created 20 chats on Signal for crisis situations, including about Ukraine – Politico

Signal Messenger is officially allowed on government devices and was used in both the Biden and Trump administrations.

Mike Walz’s team has created more than 20 group chats in Signal for crisis situations around the world, indicating the Trump administration’s extensive use of the app to coordinate national security issues, writes Politico .

According to four individuals who were added to these chat rooms, they were used to discuss issues including Ukraine, China, Gaza, Africa, and Europe. Two of them said they had personally participated in or were aware of at least 20 such groups. All four individuals confirmed that confidential information was discussed in the chat rooms.

“It was common to hold chats on any national security topic,” one participant noted, adding that even members of the Cabinet of Ministers and high-ranking officials participated in the discussions.

Experts warn that this practice could violate national security regulations and laws on the retention of government documents. If messages are automatically deleted, it makes it difficult to monitor and preserve official information.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughes said Signal is allowed on government devices and is used in both the Biden and Trump administrations.

“This is one of the approved methods of communication, but not the main one,” he noted, emphasizing the necessity of saving messages.

He also denied allegations of the transfer of classified data:

“Any claims about the use of classified information are 100 percent untrue.”

Scandals surrounding Volz and leaks of secret information

Walz’s team came under scrutiny after he accidentally included a journalist in a group chat about military strikes in Yemen, sparking a political scandal and calls for his dismissal.

In addition to Signal, Walz and his staff have also been criticized for using personal Gmail accounts for government communications. The NSC confirmed this, but insisted that this was in accordance with document retention requirements and that classified information was not transmitted over unsecured channels.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have launched an investigation by inviting members of the Signal group chat to a congressional hearing. Representative Jerry Connolly said the use of unsecured platforms “raises deep concern” because of the risk of leaking classified material.

(C)UNIAN 2025