OAN Staff Blake Wolf
3:57 PM – Tuesday, July 15, 2025
President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor, Mike Waltz, defended the usage of the Signal app to communicate information among other administration officials.
Waltz’s confirmation hearing, which was related to his nomination to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN), marked the first appearance before lawmakers since he stepped down from his prior role as Trump’s national security advisor.
Waltz had been previously criticized for “mistakenly” adding a journalist to a Signal group chat, leading to the leaking of military plans for striking Houthi targets in Yemen back in March. However, President Donald Trump has also mentioned that the mistake was most likely due to one of Waltz’s aides.
“What it was, we believe, is somebody that was on the line with permission… worked with Mike Waltz at a lower level… had, I guess, Goldberg’s number.”
Democrats on Congressional intelligence panels have argued that the information leaked in the group chat could have placed U.S. fighter pilots in jeopardy if the leak was released in advance of the military operation.
“I was hoping to hear from you that you had some sense of regret over sharing what was very sensitive, timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app that’s not, as we both know, the appropriate way to share such critical information,” stated Democrat Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) at Waltz’s confirmation hearing.
“It doesn’t seem to me that the administration has taken any action to make sure this doesn’t happen again. There’s been no consequences, and yet the president continues to denounce those who leak information. We both know Signal is not a secure way to convey classified information,” he added.
Democrat Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) also took the opportunity to slam Waltz, stating: “I’ve seen you not only fail to stand up, but lie.”
“What America expects from leaders, especially leaders who are tasked with our national security or could be tasked with the position which you’re nominated for, is for people to stand up and just take responsibility, take accountability. But I heard you just blame Biden,” he continued.
“I cannot support your nomination. I think you’ve shown a failure of leadership at a time that America especially needs people of honor to stand up and show what leadership actually is,” Booker added.
Throughout the hearing, Waltz maintained that no classified military information was discussed in the Signal chat, and that the app was “not only authorized, it was recommended” by the previous administration’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure agency.
“I can echo Secretary Hegseth’s testimony that no names, targets, locations, units, routes, sources, methods, classified information was shared,” Waltz stated, referencing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Waltz also opted to focus on his goal of leading “major reform” at the United Nations.
“We should have one place in the world where everyone can talk, and where China, Russia, Europe, the developing world, can come together and resolve conflicts, but after 80 years, it’s drifted from its core mission of peacemaking,” Waltz stated, vowing to “make the UN great again.”
Waltz is likely to be confirmed at the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations due to the Republican Senate majority. However, a confirmation vote has yet to take place.
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