In a courtroom drama that could rival a political thriller, Judge James Boasberg has dropped a bombshell on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ordering him to round up any Signal messages from top Trump officials that might be on the chopping block and hand them over to the Department of Justice for safekeeping. This ruling, issued Friday, stems from a lawsuit by the watchdog group American Oversight, which exposed a spicy Signal chat where Trump’s Cabinet members, including Rubio, were caught plotting airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthis—oops, with an Atlantic journalist accidentally in the mix!

Boasberg, who’s earned a reputation as a thorn in Trump’s side from prior immigration rulings, admitted his hands are tied when it comes to messages already zapped into oblivion. The judge called out the officials for slacking on their Federal Records Act duties, noting their use of Signal’s auto-delete feature likely sent critical records into the digital void. His order tasks Rubio, also acting as archivist, with ensuring surviving messages don’t meet the same fate by referring them to Attorney General Pam Bondi for compliance.

The Signal saga, involving heavyweights like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, erupted after National Security Adviser Mike Waltz’s fumble added a journalist to their chat. The Trump administration insists the chatter wasn’t classified, just “sensitive,” while Bondi sidestepped questions about a probe. Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s inspector general is digging into the mess, spurred by a bipartisan Senate push.

American Oversight’s Chioma Chukwu slammed the need for court intervention to enforce basic legal duties, hinting at more lawsuits if the administration doesn’t play ball. For now, the spotlight’s on Rubio to preserve what’s left of these digital breadcrumbs—or face the watchdog’s bite.

Federal Records News

Judge Boasberg Orders Rubio to Save Trump Officials’ Signal Chats for DOJ