Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has called for Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe to be prosecuted for perjury. Nadler claims they lied under oath about “Signalgate,” which came to light after full text messages were released by a journalist whom the Trump administration tried to silence.
“If the evidence initially presented by Jeffrey Goldberg weren’t damning enough, the latest batch of messages revealed today make it clear that the Trump Administration has been lying—and continues to lie—about the confidential war plans shared by Secretary Hegseth in an unsecured Signal chat,” Nadler said in a statement.
Nadler accused both Gabbard and Ratcliffe of lying under oath during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
“The latest text messages confirm that in yesterday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe lied under oath in their testimony. Perjury is a crime, and they should be prosecuted,” Nadler said.
He also pointed out that if any other military officer had acted similarly, they would likely face serious consequences:
“Any other military officer who demonstrated such disregard for security protocols would likely face dismissal from service and even a court-martial. The Trump Administration seems to believe that cabinet secretaries and senior officials are above the law. They are not.”
Nadler noted that the Trump administration continues to misrepresent the details and timing of the plans.
“Even today, official Administration accounts continue to lie about the timeline and sensitive nature of these plans. These lies, along with Secretary Hegseth’s careless attitude, cannot go unpunished. The Trump Administration must be held accountable. I renew my calls for Secretary Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to resign; and now call for every member of the signal chat to resign, and for DNI Gabbard and Director Ratcliffe to face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
The core of this issue, according to Nadler, is that the people involved seem to believe they are immune to legal consequences. Their repeated false statements raise concerns about the rule of law in the United States and how those in power might be able to avoid accountability.
The situation also highlights the serious risks to American military and intelligence operations. Nadler points out that by mishandling classified information, Secretary Hegseth put the lives of service members at risk.
Those who defend or downplay these actions are not just allowing it to happen—they are contributing to undermining national security and weakening the systems meant to protect the country from its enemies.
