During a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona questioned intelligence officials about the risks of discussing national security matters on unsecured communication channels. His concerns were based on a report from The Atlantic about a Signal group chat that included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and, inadvertently, a journalist. The chat reportedly contained discussions on possible U.S. military action in Yemen, as reported by the Office of the Senator.

During the hearing, Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot, questioned whether the content shared over Signal complied with the Department of Defense's policy on handling Controlled Unclassified Information. He asked DNI Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe if the chat’s contents were appropriate for public release. Gabbard stated, "The discussion that took place in that Signal chat group was a conversation reflecting national security leaders and the Vice President around the President's objectives." Ratcliffe emphasized that pre-decisional strike discussions should be conducted through classified channels, according to the Office of the Senator.

The inquiry focused on the risks of intercepted discussions revealing military information. Kelly asked Ratcliffe whether deliberations on military action were classified. Officials were questioned about details such as targets, weapons systems, timing, and units, but Gabbard and Ratcliffe said they did not recall specific details while maintaining confidentiality, as stated by the Office of the Senator.