The US and allies around the world share intelligence that helps keep Americans safe, Mark Warner said at a senate intelligence committee hearing.
But as Donald Trump’s administration insults allies including Canada and European nations, and moves closer to traditional adversaries such as Russia, the security breach could further erode trust, the lawmaker warned.
“The intelligence we gather to keep Americans safe depends on a lot of allies around the world who have access to sources we don’t have. That sharing of information saves lives, and it’s not hypothetical,” said Warner, the top Democrat on the panel.
“However, these relationships are not built in stone. They’re not dictated by law. Things like the Five Eyes are based on trust,” he said, referring to an intelligence-sharing alliance between the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Warner said that “trust is now breaking, literally overnight,” adding that the security breach was “a pattern we’re seeing too often repeated.”
“Make no mistake, these actions make America less safe,” he said.
The breach saw The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg inadvertently added to a Signal chat group that apparently included defence secretary Pete Hegseth and vice president JD Vance, plus several top intelligence officials, as they discussed strikes targeting rebel Houthis in Yemen.
“Mistakes do happen” with Five Eyes intelligence, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday.
“What’s important is how people react to those mistakes and how they tighten them up… And part of that response is to be more and more Canadian in our defence capabilities,” he continued.
“We have to look out for ourselves.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson praised the close relationship with the US, particularly on defence and security, adding: “we expect that to continue.”
National security experts have expressed shock at the seemingly reckless use of a publicly-available instant messaging app to discuss US military actions, while a comment by Hegseth about “pathetic” Europeans “freeloading” off US military might have further fuelled outrage at the Trump administration’s stance on Europe.
Trump, however, backed his Pentagon chief Tuesday.
“Yeah, I think they’ve been freeloading,” he told reporters when asked if he agreed with the comments on Europe.