- Published Date: March 29, 2025
‘Signalgate’ Scandal: Private Data of Trump Officials Exposed in Online Leaks
A major security breach has reportedly exposed the personal data of top Trump administration officials, raising concerns about potential foreign spying.
A major security breach has reportedly exposed the personal data of top Trump administration officials, raising concerns about potential foreign spying.
What Happened?
Journalists at Der Spiegel used publicly available hacked data and search engines to uncover personal details such as mobile numbers, email addresses, and even some passwords. Shockingly, many of these credentials were still active and linked to social media accounts and location-tracking apps.
- Waltz and Gabbard's phone numbers were reportedly linked to WhatsApp and Signal, making them potential targets for spyware.
- Hegseth’s information was said to be particularly easy to access, with his email appearing in recent online activity tied to a controversial Signal group chat.
This breach could have allowed foreign intelligence agencies to spy on a private Signal chat where officials allegedly discussed a military strike in Yemen.
Legal Fallout & Security Concerns
Following these revelations, a U.S. judge has ordered the Trump administration to preserve Signal messages exchanged between March 11 and March 15. These messages reportedly contained discussions about U.S. airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
This comes after The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, claimed he was mistakenly added to a Signal chat group where senior officials—including Waltz, Gabbard, Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and aide Stephen Miller—discussed airstrike details. The group even exchanged congratulatory messages as the strikes were carried out.
While officials insist that no classified information was shared in the chat, critics are raising serious concerns about national security risks and whether government communications were handled improperly.
What’s Next?
Trump later commented that Waltz would “probably” stop using Signal, to which the national security adviser agreed, suggesting they should discuss such matters in person moving forward.
With growing scrutiny over how sensitive defense information is handled, lawmakers from both sides are calling for further investigation into this major security lapse.
