President Donald Trump appeared to blame national security advisor Mike Waltz for the Signal chat scandal that exposed discussions about a military strike. Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump was asked who was responsible for the leak. “It was Mike, I guess. I don’t know, I always thought it was Mike,” he said. He then dismissed the controversy as a “witch hunt” by the media.

This marks a shift in Trump’s stance. A day earlier, he suggested an unnamed staffer was responsible for the leak.

“It was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number in there,” he told NBC in a phone interview.

The controversy started when The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported that he was mistakenly added to a Signal chat group discussing a planned attack on the Houthis in Yemen. After verifying that the discussed actions were happening, Goldberg published his findings, sending shockwaves through Washington. He later stated, “I had very strong doubts about the chat’s authenticity,” but once the attack unfolded, he realized it was real.

When asked if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should be concerned about his role, Trump defended him. “Hegseth, he was doing a great job… How do you bring Hegseth into it? He had nothing to do with this,” Trump said.

Trump also cast doubt on Signal’s security, suggesting the app “could be defective.” He continued downplaying the scandal, focusing instead on the success of the military operation.

Despite public scrutiny, Trump’s administration insists that the scandal is overblown. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “another hoax written by a Trump-hater.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk has reportedly joined an investigation into the leak, though the consequences for those responsible remain unclear. Trump has already stated he has no plans to fire Waltz over the incident.