Mike Waltz's Team Has Set Up Over 20 Signal Channels To Discuss Sensitive Foreign Policy Matters

National security adviser Mike Waltz has been engulfed in controversy since The Atlantic reported last week that he inadvertently added a journalist to a group chat in a messaging app where high-ranking officials discussed highly sensitive information related to an upcoming attack against Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Ever since, more information regarding Waltz's handling of such matters has continued to surface, with a new report by Politico detailing that him and his group regularly set up chats on Signal to coordinate similar actions.

Concretely, people familiar with the matter told the outlet at at least 20 such chats were set up to discuss matters related to Ukraine, China, and Gaza. The report reveals a more extensive use of the app and shows it to be common practice, rather than a one-off.

National security officials told the outlet that the practice could be violating regulations related to the protection of sensitive information from adversaries and the keeping of federal records if the messages are deleted.

On Tuesday, The Washington Post also reported that the embattled official has also conducted government business on personal Gmail accounts, which are far less secure than Signal and government accounts.

The outlet detailed that a senior Waltz aide used Gmail for "highly technical conversations with colleagues at other government agencies involving sensitive military positions and powerful weapons systems relating to an ongoing conflict." The aide was the only one to use his personal account, as others used their government-issued ones.

Waltz, in turn, received his schedule and other work documents, the outlet added, quoting officials who expressed concern about his handling of information. They added that Waltz sometimes copied and pasted from his schedule into Signal to coordinate meetings.

NSC spokesman Brian Hughes rejected the reporting, saying he has seen no evidence of Waltz engaging in the behavior described. He did concede to the use of Signal, saying that the app is "approved and in some cases added automatically to government devices." However, he contended that Waltz ever used it to share classified material. He gave a similar answer to Politico when contacted for comment on the most recent report.

Waltz was reportedly impacted by the scandal, although he has so far managed to keep his job. The Washington Post recounted that even though President Donald Trump strongly backed Waltz, he met with Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to discuss whether to keep him on. He decided to do so but mainly to avoid giving the "liberal media a scalp."