Washington — On Tuesday, leaders from U.S. intelligence agencies will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding the global security threats confronting the nation.
The hearing is slated to commence at 10 a.m., featuring testimonies from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.
This testimony follows the revelation that prominent officials from the Trump administration unintentionally included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, in a group chat via the encrypted app Signal, discussing sensitive U.S. military plans to target Houthi forces in Yemen. Both Gabbard and Ratcliffe are reported to have participated in the chat, according to Goldberg.
The group chat, initiated by President Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz, reportedly included Ratcliffe sharing information that “might be interpreted as related to actual and current intelligence operations,” as noted by Goldberg.
The National Security Council confirmed on Monday to CBS News that the message thread “appears to be authentic.”
While the annual hearing is likely to address threats from China, Russia, and Iran, the intelligence chiefs are expected to face tough inquiries regarding this security breach. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the leading Democrat on the committee, expressed concerns that the incident demonstrates the Trump administration is “playing fast and loose with our nation’s most classified info, making all Americans less safe.”
The intelligence officials are also scheduled to present their testimonies on Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee. These hearings coincide with the release of the annual threat assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The 2024 report indicated that the U.S. is facing “an increasingly fragile global order” over the coming year, exacerbated by great power competition, regional conflicts, and transnational challenges.
President Trump, who campaigned on the promise of ceasing the war in Ukraine, has exhibited a more favorable stance toward Russia and has temporarily ceased intelligence sharing and security aid to Ukraine following a disagreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Recently, he refrained from commenting on whether the U.S. would intervene to prevent China from forcibly taking Taiwan during his presidency.
Furthermore, Mr. Trump is exerting pressure on Iran to agree to a new nuclear deal, warning of possible military consequences otherwise.
