WASHINGTON, March 25 — Senior officials from the Trump administration inadvertently shared classified war plans in an encrypted Signal chat group that included a journalist, just hours before the U.S. launched strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, the White House confirmed yesterday, following a report by The Atlantic.
WASHINGTON, March 25 — Senior officials from the Trump administration inadvertently shared classified war plans in an encrypted Signal chat group that included a journalist, just hours before the U.S. launched strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, the White House confirmed yesterday, following a report by The Atlantic.
The disclosure drew swift condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, who labeled it a grave national security breach and called for a Congressional investigation.
According to The Atlantic, editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported that he was unexpectedly added on March 13 to a Signal chat group called “Houthi PC small group.” In the conversation, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz directed Deputy Alex Wong to form a “tiger team” to coordinate military action against the Houthis.
National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Brian Hughes confirmed the chat’s authenticity.
On March 15, President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis, citing their attacks on Red Sea shipping. Hours before the operation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly disclosed operational details in the group, including target locations, weapon deployments, and attack sequences. Goldberg withheld the specifics but called the situation “shockingly reckless.”
The chat group allegedly included accounts representing Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior NSC officials. Joe Kent, Trump’s nominee for National Counterterrorism Center Director, was also reportedly included despite not yet being Senate-confirmed.
When asked about the situation, Trump distanced himself, stating: “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic.” A White House official later confirmed an investigation was underway and that Trump had been briefed.
NSC Defends, Hegseth Denies Leak
NSC spokesperson Hughes said in a statement:
“At this time, the message thread appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
He defended the administration, calling the chat an example of “deep and thoughtful policy coordination” and stressing that the Houthi operation proceeded without risk to U.S. troops or national security.
Meanwhile, Hegseth denied leaking war plans, telling reporters in Hawaii:
“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.”
Internal Debate Over U.S. Role in Europe
The Atlantic also revealed screenshots showing internal debate over whether the U.S. should proceed with the strikes.
At one point, Vice President Vance questioned why the U.S. should defend European shipping interests, writing:
“@PeteHegseth if you think we should do it, let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again. Let’s just make sure our messaging is tight here.”
Hegseth allegedly replied:
“VP: I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It’s PATHETIC.”
Vance reportedly also warned that the timing could cause a spike in oil prices, potentially contradicting Trump’s economic stance on Europe.
Legal Violations & Fallout
Mishandling classified information is a federal crime, though it is unclear if the officials involved could face legal repercussions.
Additionally, reports that Waltz set messages to disappear from Signal raise concerns about potential violations of federal record-keeping laws.
In an unrelated crackdown on government leaks, Tulsi Gabbard posted on X (formerly Twitter) on March 14:
“Unauthorized disclosure of classified information is illegal and will be treated as such.”
She is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee today on global security threats.
Democrats Demand Investigation
Democratic lawmakers condemned the use of Signal for national security discussions, calling it “blatantly illegal” and demanding urgent action.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the situation “one of the most stunning intelligence breaches in recent history.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, acknowledged the severity of the incident:
“We need to run this to ground and figure out what happened.”
Despite the controversy, the White House has not indicated any staffing changes, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stating:
“President Trump continues to have full confidence in his national security team.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X, condemning the handling of classified intelligence:
“Every single official in this text chain has now committed a crime—even if accidentally—that would normally warrant jail time.”
The White House has yet to confirm whether additional security protocols will be enforced in response to the incident. — Reuters
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