(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump has dismissed concern over potential sensitive national security information shared in a White House group chat, calling backlash the product of a “witch hunt.”
But a new YouGov poll shows the president is not on the same page as most of the country.
The poll, published Tuesday, shows that a large majority of Americans — 74% — think the administration’s group chat on messaging app Signal is a “very serious” (53%) or “somewhat serious” (21%) problem.
The Atlantic releases full Signal text chain
Notably, 60% of Republicans who responded defined the chat as at least somewhat serious.
Only 8% of respondents feel as though it’s “not very serious,” while 5% find it “not at all serious.” An equivalent 13% said they were “not sure” altogether.
The March 25 survey had 5976 respondents, all of whom are adults in the U.S. It’s important to note that respondents shared opinions prior to the Atlantic’s latest screenshots, published Wednesday.
Signal chat leak: Security experts divided on impact of breach
Wednesday’s House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing saw National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard acknowledging the accidental inclusion of journalist Jeffrey Goldberg as a mistake.
In her opening statements before being questioned by lawmakers, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said it was a “mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added” to the chat.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later that day said the contents of the group message were “not intended to be divulged,” adding: “Obviously, that was a mistake and that shouldn’t have happened.”
White House officials claim there wasn’t classified information in the message thread, though some national security experts are not convinced.
Screenshots from the thread show Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth detailing planned U.S. airstrikes in Yemen, including the timing of attacks.
House Republican: White House ‘in denial’ about Signal war plans chat
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Newton told NewsNation the leak was “an extraordinary breach of security” that raises serious concerns about operational communications among top national security officials.
But Matthew “Whiz” Buckley, a former Navy fighter pilot, characterized the incident as an “unforced error” — and told NewsNation the leak would not have fundamentally changed the military’s operational abilities.
NewsNation’s Damita Menezes contributed to this report.
