Demanding Answers on Trump’s Apparent Use of Auto-Deleting, Signal-Like Messaging App

We sent a letter to White House Counsel David Warrington raising serious concerns about whether President Donald Trump is complying with the Presidential Records Act (PRA) after publicly posting screenshots suggesting he used a disappearing messaging application to communicate with foreign leaders. We’re seeking confirmation that these communications are being properly preserved and securely maintained as required by federal law.

In the letter, American Oversight notes that President Trump posted screenshots of text messages from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that appear to have been sent through Signal or a similar ephemeral messaging platform. Because the PRA requires the preservation of all presidential records — including digital correspondence received or sent in the course of official duties — we warned that Trump’s use of applications that allow for automatic deletion could violate the law.

As the letter details, concerns over proper preservation are well founded given Trump’s history of mishandling both presidential records and highly sensitive information. During his prior term, Trump was reported to have torn up presidential records and attempted to flush them down the toilet, flouting basic record preservation requirements. Additionally, after leaving office, classified national security documents were also found, unsecured, in a bathroom at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

“President Trump has repeatedly made clear his contempt for laws governing presidential transparency and proper recordkeeping,” said our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu. “The Presidential Records Act exists to ensure transparency of presidential decisions and safeguard the historical record for the American people. Given President Trump’s well-documented history of mishandling sensitive information and presidential records, the White House must assure the public that these communications are secure and being preserved and protected in full compliance with the law.”

Our letter requests information about what messaging application the president used, whether any messages have been set to automatically delete or were already deleted, how presidential text messages are preserved, and what cybersecurity safeguards are in place. We also asked whether any Signal-compatible or similar applications currently in use have been vetted by appropriate federal cybersecurity authorities.

The PRA requires the president to ensure that presidential records are properly preserved and prohibits their destruction absent formal consultation with the archivist of the United States. We have repeatedly raised concerns about this administration’s compliance with its legal recordkeeping obligations amid broader patterns of secrecy and resistance to transparency.

This is not the first time we have raised alarm about the Trump administration’s use of ephemeral messaging platforms with auto-deleting features to conduct official government business. In 2025, we went to court to preserve Signal and similar messages sent by senior Trump administration officials — including in the Signalgate scandal, in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials were found to have used the Signal app to discuss sensitive military operations. Last month, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General issued a report, spurred by our investigation, which found Hegseth’s sharing of classified Yemen strike details over Signal — in group chats that also included his spouse, brother, and a reporter — violated department regulations and put troops in danger.