Warner slammed the use of Signal to discuss a strike on Houthis Tuesday, but he used the app himself in an effort to reach Christopher Steele. (Reuters/Getty Images)
Warner spokesperson Rachel Cohen told Fox News Digital, "The fact that Fox News is in possession of these messages demonstrates exactly why Signal shouldn’t be used to discuss classified national security material like war plans."
Steele infamously compiled a dossier of unverified information about Trump that was ultimately used by FBI and Justice Department officials during the 2016 presidential campaign to get a warrant to conduct surveillance of former Trump advisor Carter Page. However, the dossier was found to be funded through a law firm hired by the Hillary Clinton campaign and was revealed to largely contain uncorroborated and salacious rumors.
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Warner began corresponding on Signal with lobbyist Adam Waldman in March 2017, Fox News reported exclusively at the time.
Waldman texted Warner, writing, "Chris Steele asked me to call you."
"Will call tomorrow be careful," Warner replied.
The two had some difficulty connecting by phone, according to the messages.
Later in the month, the senator pushed Waldman for direct access to Steele.
Goldberg published his account being added to the group chat. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for The Atlantic)
"Two of our witnesses here today were members of a group chat that discussed highly sensitive and likely classified information that supposedly even included weapons packages, targets and timing and included the name of an active CIA agent," Warner said, referring to CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
"It's also just mind-boggling to me that all of these senior folks were on this line, and nobody bothered to even check security hygiene 101," the senator remarked.
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"I think this is one more example of the kind of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior, particularly towards classified information, that this is not a one-off or a first-time error," he added, criticizing the administration.
Despite the "mistake," as President Trump called the Signal group chat with Goldberg, Waltz is "not getting fired," he told Fox News.
He added that "nothing important" was in the chat.
Trump said Waltz won't be fired. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also posted on X about the debacle, slamming Goldberg and "his sensationalist spin."
"No ‘war plans’ were discussed," she said, quoting the title of his article. "No classified material was sent to the thread.
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"As the National Security Council stated, the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread. Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective. Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump."
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-dem-used-same-app-atlantic-scandal-set-up-contact-steele-dossier-author