Reporters say Waltz, Gabbard, Hegseth private contact info is available online
Reporters have recently claimed to have uncovered private contact information online for top Trump administration officials involved in a Signal text chain leak that revealed U.S. plans to attack Yemen’s Houthi rebels. According to Germany’s Der Spiegel, national security advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are among those whose information was exposed.
Der Spiegel’s investigation revealed that phone numbers, email addresses, and even some passwords belonging to these officials were discovered on the internet by their staff. The outlet stated that they utilized commercial people search engines and hacked customer data that had been published online to gather this sensitive information.
It was reported that most of the contact information found is still active, with some linked to social media profiles on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. Additionally, the information was used to create accounts on platforms like Dropbox and running data tracking apps. WhatsApp profiles and even Signal accounts were also reportedly linked to some of the phone numbers.
In response to the leak, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied sharing any classified plans in a Signal group chat on March 26, 2025. Der Spiegel mentioned that an email address associated with Hegseth was still in use recently. WhatsApp and Signal accounts allegedly belonging to Mike Waltz seemed to have been deactivated after the outlet reached out for comment.
The investigation also found private Google accounts linked to Tulsi Gabbard that were reportedly active up to two weeks ago. A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated that the mentioned platforms had not been used in years, and the passwords had been changed multiple times.
Both the White House and the Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. The seriousness of this breach raises concerns about the security of high-ranking officials and the potential risks associated with such leaks. Hopefully, steps will be taken to address these vulnerabilities and prevent similar incidents in the future.
