A photo taken during one of President Donald Trump's recent Cabinet meetings has raised concerns about how some administration officials are sharing information.
In the photo published by Reuters, former national security adviser Mike Waltz was seen using an unofficial version of a Signal mobile app designed to archive messages. The screen appeared to show messages from government officials including Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
404 Media reported Thursday that the photo has raised questions about whether classified information has been discussed in the app and how that data is being secured.
The photo showed Waltz receiving a verification message different from that in an official version of Signal, the outlet reported.
The message on Waltz's phone indicates a piece of software from a company called TeleMessage, which produces clones of popular messaging apps but adds an archiving capability to each of them, 404 Media reported.
"In other words, the robust end-to-end encryption of Signal as it is typically understood is not maintained, because the messages can be later retrieved after being stored somewhere else," 404 Media wrote. "At one point, the video shows copies of those messages in what appears to be an ordinary Gmail account, which would create additional security risks. The video says the Gmail is for the 'demo' and that TeleMessage works with 'numerous archiving platforms.'"
Government officials are required to keep records of their communications, but archiving potentially can introduce security risks to those messages.
A Signal spokesperson, via email, told 404 Media, "We cannot guarantee the privacy or security properties of unofficial versions of Signal."
The photo was published on a day Trump announced Waltz will leave his national security position and be nominated for U.N. ambassador.
Waltz has been under fire from administration critics after adding a magazine editor to a group chat last month about plans for military action.
Waltz's departure from Trump's national security team raised questions concerning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's future at the Pentagon. Hegseth last week said "informal, unclassified coordinations" were shared in an online chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Pentagon inspector general has expanded an investigation into Hegseth's use of Signal chat.
Several Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the Defense secretary needs to surround himself with a better team.
"Hegseth is next in line not because he's a jerk, but because I think they're concerned about his management and that his team is a mess," one source told The Hill.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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