Top national security officials under President Donald Trump, including his defence secretary, sent war plans for military strikes in Yemen to a secure group chat on a messaging app, which also included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, the magazine reported on Monday.
The National Security Council confirmed that the text chain “appears to be authentic.”
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Initially, Trump told reporters he was unaware of the sensitive information being shared, but later appeared to joke about the breach.
The text messages contained detailed operational information about planned strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, such as targets, weapons to be used, and the sequence of the attack, as reported by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg.
It remains unclear whether the details were classified, though they typically are to safeguard service members and operational security. Since November 2023, the U.S. has carried out airstrikes against the Houthis in response to their attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.
Just hours after Goldberg received the information, the U.S. launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15.
The National Security Council is investigating how a journalist's number ended up in the Signal group chat, which also included Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Goldberg said he was invited to the chat by Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser.
In his initial remarks, Hegseth dismissed Goldberg as a “deceitful” and “discredited” journalist, without explaining why Signal was used for discussing such sensitive matters or how Goldberg ended up in the chat.
Hegseth asserted, “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” in a conversation with reporters in Hawaii. Later, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt expressed the president's continued confidence in Waltz and the national security team.
Trump, when first asked about the breach, claimed he was unaware, calling The Atlantic “not much of a magazine.” By evening, the president had light-heartedly referenced a satirical social media post by Elon Musk, joking about the leak.
While Signal is commonly used by government officials for organisational communication, it is not classified and is susceptible to hacking. Privacy experts note that it offers more security than regular texting.
The leak came at a time when Hegseth’s office had announced a crackdown on leaks, including using polygraphs to investigate how reporters obtained sensitive information.
Democratic lawmakers swiftly condemned the breach. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “stunning breach of military intelligence,” while Senator Jack Reed called the leak a “dangerous failure” in operational security, stressing the risks to American lives.
Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat, expressed his horror, noting that a lower-ranking official would likely lose their clearance and face criminal investigation for such a breach. Some Republicans, such as Sen. Roger Wicker, also expressed concerns and indicated plans for a bipartisan investigation.
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However, House Speaker Mike Johnson adopted a more forgiving stance, arguing that there should not be adverse consequences for those involved, as they were performing their duties and the mission succeeded.
Handling national defence information is regulated under the Espionage Act, which criminalises the improper handling or removal of classified information. The Justice Department had previously investigated whether Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for classified information violated the law, though no charges were filed.
In the Biden administration, officials were allowed to download Signal for certain purposes but were instructed to use it cautiously. It was primarily used for coordinating sensitive communications, such as scheduling classified meetings, when officials were away from their offices.
Criticism of Hegseth was strong, with Senator Tammy Duckworth accusing him of incompetence for leaking classified information in the group chat.
Vance, within the chat, questioned the timing of the strikes, suggesting a delay of a month to better communicate the operation’s significance, particularly in relation to potential oil price increases. He argued that Europe would benefit more than the U.S. from the strikes. Hegseth responded, agreeing with Vance's stance on European free-loading.
Vance's spokesperson later downplayed the debate, asserting his unwavering support for the administration’s foreign policy.