Trump Aide's Messaging App Breach Hits U.S. Government

A hacker who infiltrated a secure messaging app used by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz also accessed communications from dozens of U.S. government officials, according to a Reuters investigation. The breach targeted TeleMessage, a government-compliant version of the encrypted Signal app.

More than 60 officials were affected, including disaster response teams, diplomatic staff, and members of the Secret Service. The leak, shared with Reuters by the transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets, reveals the scope of the incident, which occurred in early May.

Breach Raises Alarm Over Metadata and Exposure

While no highly sensitive content was uncovered, experts warn that even seemingly innocuous messages can be valuable for intelligence purposes due to the metadata. Jake Williams, a former NSA cyber specialist, stated the data could reveal communication patterns, group memberships, and travel logistics, representing a “top-tier intelligence access.”

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Chats reviewed by Reuters discussed White House-related travel, including to the Vatican and Jordan.

Waltz's Use of App Already Under Scrutiny

The breach follows prior controversy involving Waltz’s use of secure messaging apps. In March, he was caught discussing military airstrikes in a Signal chat mistakenly shared with a journalist. Waltz was later removed from his advisory post but remains in the administration, recently nominated as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

TeleMessage was suspended on May 5 "out of an abundance of caution," and Smarsh, the Oregon-based firm behind the app, has not commented. Agencies including FEMA and Customs have confirmed they disabled the service pending investigations.