Caught on camera! Mike Waltz photographed using Signal the day before he was ousted by Trump - Who was he texting?
Written By Prapti Upadhayay
Published: May 02, 2025, 10:41 IST | Updated: May 02, 2025, 10:41 IST
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World: The photo revealed that Waltz had been texting several high-profile figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
A photo taken during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (May 02) sparked controversy after it showed Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, Mike Waltz, using the encrypted messaging app Signal.
The image, captured by a Reuters photographer, came just a day before Trump announced Waltz would be replaced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The photo revealed that Waltz had been texting several high-profile figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
When questioned about the use of the app, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded on Thursday afternoon, “Signal is an approved app that is loaded onto our government phones. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
This isn’t the first time Waltz has faced criticism over his use of Signal. In March, he accidentally added a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic, to a private group chat with key national security officials, including Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The group had reportedly discussed a US attack on terrorists in Yemen.
Also read: Trump's NSA Mike Waltz, guy involved in 'Signalgate' scandal, to leave White House: Reports
Waltz later said he had no idea how Goldberg got added to the chat and stressed that no sensitive information was shared. At the time, Trump stood by Waltz and dismissed demands for his dismissal.
Despite backing him publicly, sources told ABC News that Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with Waltz over the Signal-related fallout. On Thursday, Trump made changes to his national security team.
Waltz will now be nominated as US Ambassador to the United Nations, while Marco Rubio will take over as interim national security adviser, continuing in his current position as Secretary of State.
The use of Signal for official communication has drawn criticism, even though it is technically approved for use on government devices. In 2021, the Pentagon’s internal watchdog called out a former official for using Signal, saying it breached records retention rules and was not authorised to share sensitive information.
Last month, acting Pentagon Inspector General Steven Stebbins said he was launching a review into Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal during the Yemen operation. On Thursday, a US official confirmed that a second chat involving Hegseth is under scrutiny. In that chat, Hegseth is said to have shared attack timing details with his wife, brother, and lawyer.
“The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business. Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements,” Stebbins said in a statement.
Democrats have pushed for a broader investigation into the Signal chats linked to the Yemen operation, but Republican leaders have blocked those efforts in Congress.