ISTANBUL

The White House rejected a Wall Street Journal report alleging that US envoy Steve Witkoff used the Signal messaging app during Moscow negotiations as "classic fake news" in a statement Wednesday.

"Steve Witkoff was provided a secure line of communication by the U.S. Government, and it was the only phone he had in his possession while in Moscow," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.

She accused the newspaper's editorial board of failing to seek comment before publishing the "lies."

Leavitt defended Witkoff as "a great patriot working effectively on behalf of (US) President (Donald) Trump to secure world peace," accusing the report as a tool to "knock" him.

The rebuke comes after the news outlet said Witkoff's alleged use of Signal while discussing the Middle East and Ukraine conflicts is "security malpractice," suggesting Russian intelligence could monitor communications.

The report is linked to a broader Signal controversy involving a "Houthi PC small group" chat that accidentally included Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.

Trump has downplayed the Signal group incident, stating no classified information was shared.