A federal judge has mandated that the Trump administration preserve essential records from a Signal group chat concerning sensitive military operations in Yemen. This ruling comes amid mounting controversy and outrage in Washington, D.C. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court ordered several government agencies, including the Defense Department, State Department, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, Treasury Department, and National Archives, to preserve all Signal communications exchanged between March 11 and March 15.
The defendants in the case are required to submit a declaration by Monday detailing the steps taken to implement this preservation order. This incident has drawn significant attention as National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior national security officials reportedly used the Signal messaging app to discuss critical details regarding a U.S. attack on Houthi militants in Yemen. This information was revealed in a recent report by the Atlantic, highlighting a concerning breach of protocol.
Waltz inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, in the chat group, intensifying the scrutiny of the conversation's content. Lawmakers, primarily from the Democratic party, have expressed outrage, demanding investigations and the dismissal of key individuals involved in the chat. They argue that the handling of sensitive information jeopardized American lives and national security.
On Tuesday, the government watchdog group American Oversight filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the involved officials likely violated federal records laws. Their suit demands a court order requiring several officials, including Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to preserve the records of the chat.
Boasberg's ruling adds to the growing list of legal challenges facing the Trump administration. This case has the potential to further entangle Boasberg with former President Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized the judge for previous rulings that blocked the administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants without due process.
In response to the backlash from the Signal leak incident, the White House has targeted the Atlantic and other mainstream media outlets, labeling them as politically motivated while defending Trump’s senior aides. During the court proceedings, Boasberg emphasized the importance of the case, clarifying that American Oversight was not seeking to disclose the Signal communications or impose penalties. Instead, the organization aims to enforce compliance with the Federal Records Act.
Signal, known for its end-to-end encryption, allows users to set messages to delete automatically after a specified period. According to the Atlantic’s transcript, Waltz had configured some messages to disappear after one week, while others were set to delete after four days. American Oversight highlighted that without judicial action, these messages could be permanently lost, undermining accountability.
During the court hearing, Amber Richer, a trial attorney from the Justice Department, argued against the necessity of a temporary restraining order, asserting that the department was already collaborating with the agencies to preserve relevant records. However, she acknowledged that government lawyers had not fully assessed the risk of automatic message deletion due to time constraints in responding to the plaintiff’s motion.
The Justice Department submitted a memorandum arguing against the temporary restraining order, claiming that the preservation of chat records was not subject to judicial review. They further asserted that at least one agency had already identified and preserved portions of the chat.
Following the ruling, Chioma Chukwu, interim executive director of American Oversight, stated, “This order marks an important step toward accountability. The public has a right to know how decisions about war and national security are made — and accountability doesn’t disappear just because a message was set to auto-delete.”
In light of the incident, numerous lawmakers, including both Democrats and one senior Republican, have formally requested investigations from the inspector general's office. Senate Armed Services Committee leaders have sought inquiries into the information exchanged over the messaging app, including assessments of remedial actions taken and current policies governing the use of such applications within the Department of Defense.
