In wake of the Signal scandal: Deflected blame and Transatlantic tensions

Donald Trump has decided not to fire National Security Advisor Mike Waltz for sharing information in a Signal group chat ahead of a US strike on Yemen. Instead, he blamed a staffer for mistakenly adding Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to the chat instead of Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Representative.

Waltz admitted Tuesday that the incident was “embarrassing” and said, “I take full responsibility. I built the group.” But top national security officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, downplayed its significance in testimony before Congress on Tuesday, saying no classified material was shared in the unsecured Signal group — despite Goldberg’s assertion that plans were shared that, if intercepted by an adversary, could “conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel.”

Congressional Democrats are calling for an investigation, and even their GOP counterparts admonished the chat as a “mistake” and urged the White House to “be honest and own up” to what happened.

Meanwhile, Europe – having been accused of freeloading by JD Vance and Pete Hegseth in the chat – is reckoning with what has become an irreparable rift in the transatlantic relationship. The UK government rejected the freeloading claim, highlighting that the planned airstrikes discussed in the Signal group were carried out with support from British refueling aircraft and that British troops have been fighting the Houthis alongside the US in the Red Sea.

What comes next? Despite the leak, the UK has stated that it will continue sharing intelligence with the US, but Eurasia Group expert Clayton Allen says it could “further incentivize European allies to plan for a future with uncertain US involvement.”

Congressional Republicans are unlikely to break from Trump’s stance and take further action against the officials involved. Meanwhile, Democrats will continue calling for an investigation and may be aided by Goldberg, who has said he may release the messages in the coming days if he can do so without compromising national security.

Allen says it will also fuel “speculation that this administration is learning as it goes and will amplify what has been private criticism of a somewhat ad hoc approach.”