A stunning security blunder within the Trump administration has rocked Washington after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed he was inadvertently added to a secret Signal group chat where top U.S. officials discussed imminent military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Goldberg’s account, published Monday, details how he became privy to operational specifics—including targets, weapons, and timing—of a March 15 attack, hours before it occurred. National security experts and lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, have since decried the breach, with some calling for immediate investigations into the reckless handling of classified military information.
Inside the Signal Chat: High-Ranking Officials and Military Secrets
The group chat, reportedly titled “Houthi PC small group,” was created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on March 13. It included a roster of high-ranking officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Goldberg recounted that he first received an invite from Waltz on March 11 and was added to the chat two days later. Skeptical at first, he soon realized the chat was real when Hegseth posted, at 11:44 a.m. on March 15, that U.S. forces would begin striking Yemen in just two hours. The attacks proceeded as predicted, confirming the authenticity of the chat.
“What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” Goldberg wrote.
Security Failure or Common Practice?
The revelation has sparked intense scrutiny over the administration’s handling of national security communications. Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the National Security Council, confirmed the messages were authentic, calling the inclusion of Goldberg an “inadvertent” mistake but defending the chat as a demonstration of “deep and thoughtful policy coordination.”
However, military and intelligence experts say discussing war plans on an encrypted messaging app—outside classified government channels—represents a major security breach.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called it “one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen.”
Former Pentagon official Mick Mulroy told The Washington Post that sharing real-time strike plans on Signal was “not just careless, but potentially illegal.”
Political Fallout: Democrats and Republicans React
The fallout from Goldberg’s exposé has been swift. Democrats slammed the administration for its recklessness, drawing parallels to Trump’s past criticisms of Hillary Clinton’s email practices.
“You don’t even have to do the ‘what about her emails’ thing,” wrote former Obama spokesperson Matthew Miller on X. “In any other admin, R or D, there would be an immediate FBI investigation, and there should be here as well.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a Marine veteran, called for Hegseth to be held accountable:
“There is no world in which this information should have been shared in non-secure channels,” Moulton wrote. “Hegseth is in so far over his head that he is a danger to this country and our men and women in uniform.”
Even some Republicans expressed alarm. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) called the incident “a huge screw-up.” Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters, “We’ve got to run it to ground and figure out what went on there.”
Trump and His Team Dismiss the Issue
Despite the uproar, the administration has largely shrugged off concerns. Hegseth, when asked about the scandal, simply stated, “Nobody was texting war plans.” He also dismissed Goldberg as “a deceitful and highly discredited, so-called journalist.”
Trump, when questioned, claimed ignorance: “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic.”
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed Trump’s confidence in his team, stating, “The President continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.”
What Comes Next?
The incident raises major legal and ethical questions. Experts suggest Waltz’s use of disappearing messages on Signal could violate federal laws requiring the preservation of official records. Additionally, sharing classified military plans in a non-secure setting could constitute a breach of the Espionage Act.
While calls for an investigation mount, whether the Trump administration will face any accountability remains to be seen. The episode underscores the ongoing debate over security protocols in an era where high-level government officials continue to rely on encrypted messaging apps for sensitive discussions.
