JD Vance Sends Odd Text to His Bombing Group Chat: "This Chat Is Quiet. Anything Happening?"

Amid national outrage over Pete Hegseth allegedly issuing orders for egregious war crimes, attention returns to a prior controversy involving the defense secretary. Earlier this year, Hegseth was caught sharing confidential war plans about airstrikes in Yemen within an unsecured group chat, unaware that a journalist had access to the messages.

Now, a new embarrassing detail has emerged from the so-called Signalgate scandal, this time involving Vice President JD Vance. According to The New Republic, Vance sent an odd late-night message in the same chat, mere hours after The Atlantic revealed it as a major national security breach.

At 2:26 a.m., Vance wrote: This chats kind of dead. Anything going on? A screenshot from March 27 shows no responses came, two days after his message. Whether intended as humor or a check-in, the text fell flat. Meanwhile, other participants, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, took measures to obscure their activity by altering display names and enabling quick message deletions.

The Pentagon inspector generals long-awaited report, released Thursday, confirmed that Hegseths use of Signal to discuss airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen violated security rules and put personnel at risk. Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard member, has repeatedly minimized the allegations. When The Atlantic first reported the chat, he claimed, Nobody was texting war plans.

Evidence from the Signal chat was only the beginning. Hegseth also shared information about bombing operations in a separate chat including family members. Additionally, he reportedly used the same device for classified discussions to access social media and engage in sports betting. He declined interviews and refused to hand over his phone, providing instead a written statement asserting that he alone determines what counts as classified.

I retain the sole discretion to decide whether something should be classified or whether classified materials no longer require protection and can be declassified, Hegseth told the inspector general in July. On 15 March 2025, at 1144 ET, I took non-specific general details which I determined, in my sole discretion, were either not classified, or that I could safely declassify, which I then typed into the Signal chat.

More details on the Signalgate controversy indicate that the Pentagon had issued warnings about Signal use just a week before Hegseths breach was exposed.

Analysis: Signalgate Escalates with Vance Involvement

The ongoing Signalgate controversy continues to expose weaknesses in handling classified information. While Pete Hegseth's prior disclosures of Yemen airstrike plans violated security protocols, the revelation of Vice President JD Vance’s late-night message underscores a broader culture of casual communication within sensitive channels.

Vance’s message, sent just hours after The Atlantic highlighted the breach, appears trivial yet highlights lapses in situational awareness among senior officials. The lack of responses further illustrates a disconnect between intention and effect within these high-level communications.

Meanwhile, other participants, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, actively modified their chat activity to obscure traces, signaling an awareness of misconduct and potential consequences. The Pentagon inspector general’s report confirms that Hegseth’s actions endangered personnel and violated established security rules, despite his repeated claims of personal discretion over classification.

This episode emphasizes the urgent need for reinforced cybersecurity protocols and strict adherence to classification rules across all levels of government. Signalgate is no longer just about one individual’s misjudgment; it reflects systemic gaps in safeguarding sensitive military and national security information.

Sources:

• JD Vance Sent Bizarre Lonely Text to His Bombing Group Chat: “This Chat’s Kind of Dead. Anything Going On?”

Author: Logan Reeves
Logan Reeves is a sports analyst and journalist. He writes match reviews, conducts athlete interviews, and produces data-driven predictions.