Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Wednesday said “very sensitive information” was discussed during a Trump administration group chat on Signal that included a journalist, but the long-time ally of President Trump said he sees the snafu as a “lessons learned” episode.
“[R]ecent revelations about the content of the texts — while not discussing war plans per se — do in fact detail very sensitive information about a planned and ongoing military operation,” Graham said in a statement. “Lessons learned.”
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic and a longtime foreign affairs correspondent, reported Monday that he had been inadvertently included in correspondence through Signal, an encrypted messaging app, where Vice President Vance, National Security adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others discussed plans for an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen hours before it took place on March 15.
The White House has repeatedly defended the officials involved in the mishap.
But the news has raised questions about the decision to use an outside app to communicate sensitive details about the airstrike as it was being planned, highlighted by Goldberg’s addition to the group chat among top officials in the administration.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have voiced concern about the communication mishap, though most Republicans, like Graham, have not followe Democrats in calling for the removal of specific members of the Trump administration over it.
Graham, a military veteran, has frequently highlighted national security issues during his four terms in the Senate. He is up for reelection next year.
He stressed Wednesday he stands by “all members” of President Trump’s national security team.
