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Rubio says Signal chat leak did not endanger U.S. operation; Pentagon, White House to review how a journalist was added
Summary
Asked about a Signal chat that included a journalist and later leaked, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Pentagon has said the information was not classified and did not endanger the mission; he said the White House will review how the journalist was added to the chat and make reforms.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Kingston that a Signal chat used to coordinate notifications around a U.S. operation mistakenly included a journalist but that the Pentagon has concluded the material on the chat was not classified and did not threaten personnel or the mission.
“Someone made a mistake. Someone made a big mistake and added a journalist,” Rubio said of the chat that was discussed by reporters. He said the chat had been set up to notify foreign ministers and members of Congress when necessary and that adding a journalist was an error. Rubio repeated the Pentagon's assessment that "none of the information on there at any point threatened the operation or the lives of our servicemen" and that the mission had been "very successful." He said the White House is reviewing how the breach occurred and that reforms will be made to prevent a recurrence.
Why it matters: The episode raised questions about the handling of operational coordination communications and whether material in a group chat could include sensitive details. Rubio and officials he cited characterized the content as non-classified coordination information, but he acknowledged procedural shortcomings and said reforms were expected.
Sources and attribution: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and reporters at the press event in Kingston.
