The Signal Scandal Somehow Just Managed to Get Much Worse

Receive a daily must-read straight to your email inbox

WASHINGTON, DC – On March 25, 2025, National Security advisor Mike Waltz was pictured speaking alongside U.S. President Donald Trump during an Ambassador Meeting at the White House. At the meeting, Trump addressed queries from journalists regarding the inadvertent inclusion of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, in a Signal group chat where highly sensitive national security matters were discussed.

For now, this incident has not attracted much attention. However, it is worth noting an interesting aspect of the White House Signal chat situation that has emerged. A recent Reuters photo captured Mike Waltz using Signal on his phone during a Trump Cabinet meeting. While this may seem astonishing, the focus was more on who he was conversing with rather than the chat contents. Upon closer inspection by 404 Media, a tech news website, it was revealed that Waltz was not using the official Signal app but rather a third-party version that offers additional features while still utilizing a Signal account.

Would you like to continue reading? Subscribe to TPM and gain access to The Backchannel member newsletter and unlimited TPM articles and features.

If you are not yet a TPM Member, you can sign up to receive the FREE weekly edition of The Backchannel, a must-read from Josh Marshall delivered to your inbox every week.