A senior Democrat linked political fallout from US President Donald Trump’s top officials’ use of Signal to discuss war plans to national security threats caused by China, warning that an “erosion of trust” among America’s intelligence officials emboldens attempts by Beijing and Moscow to recruit them.

Grilling five of the nation’s spy chiefs, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, on Tuesday in a previously scheduled Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Senator Mark Warner, the body’s vice chair, chided the group for “a pattern” of actions by the administration that “make America less safe”.

The material in the text chain “contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the US would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” Goldberg said in his report.

“Chinese intelligence agencies are posting on social media sites in the hopes of luring individuals with national security clearance who’ve been pushed out, perhaps arbitrarily, to come into their service,” Warner said.

“So no, the Signal fiasco is not a one off. It is, unfortunately, a pattern we’re seeing too often repeated.”