Judge Orders Trump to Preserve Signal Chats on Yemen Ops

Trump Administration Must Keep Signal Chats on Yemen

​A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to preserve all messages exchanged on the encrypted messaging app Signal between March 11 and March 15, 2025. This directive follows revelations that senior national security officials used Signal to discuss sensitive details of a U.S. military operation against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The order, issued by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, responds to concerns that the use of Signal’s auto-delete feature may violate federal record-keeping laws. The watchdog group American Oversight filed a lawsuit alleging that the deletion of these messages could result in the loss of critical governmental records.

The controversy began when The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in a Signal group chat where officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, discussed the timing and execution of the Yemen strikes. Goldberg subsequently published a transcript of these communications, raising questions about the administration’s communication practices and adherence to transparency laws.

Judge Boasberg’s temporary restraining order mandates that all relevant Signal communications be preserved and requires the administration to report on the steps taken to ensure compliance. This development underscores the legal and ethical implications of using encrypted messaging platforms for official government business, especially concerning national security matters. ​