Judge Orders Trump Officials to Preserve Signal Chats on Houthi Strike Plans

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to preserve encrypted Signal messages related to military strike discussions against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The move follows the accidental leak of the messages to a journalist, revealing sensitive conversations between high-level officials.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg mandated that federal agencies, including those led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, retain all Signal messages from March 11 to March 15. The messages, published by The Atlantic, disclosed planning details about strikes against the Houthis, including timing and targets.

The legal action comes after watchdog group American Oversight sued the agencies, claiming the use of auto-deleting apps like Signal violates federal record-keeping laws. “The public has a right to know how war decisions are made,” said Chioma Chukwu, interim executive director at American Oversight. She praised the court’s move to block further deletion of the messages.

Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized Judge Boasberg, claiming he’s biased against Trump and calling for his removal from related cases. Trump previously sought Boasberg’s impeachment after he blocked the deportation of Venezuelan migrants—an action recently upheld by an appeals court.

The White House has not commented, while agencies are reportedly working to determine what records still exist.

Though the leaked messages were not classified, their exposure has triggered a broader debate over the Trump administration's handling of national security information. The controversy underscores growing concerns about the use of encrypted, auto-deleting messaging apps by government officials and their compliance with transparency laws.

This case could set a precedent for how encrypted communications by public officials are treated under federal records laws, especially when national security is involved.