The Trump administration is under political fire after a journalist was inadvertently added to an unsecured group chat where U.S. national security officials discussed a planned military strike in Yemen.
Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic reported that he was mistakenly included in a Signal chat involving key officials such as Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He claims to have seen classified details on planned U.S. strikes against Houthi rebels, including weapons packages and targets, two hours before the operation took place.
The revelation has triggered widespread criticism from Democratic lawmakers, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it a “stunning breach of military intelligence.” Republicans have acknowledged the mistake but downplayed its severity. House Speaker Mike Johnson described it as an error, while Defense Secretary Hegseth dismissed concerns, calling Goldberg a “discredited journalist.”
Goldberg stated he was added to the chat after receiving a connection request from an account appearing to belong to White House National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. He initially doubted the authenticity of the messages but later witnessed real-time discussions on the strike just before reports of explosions in Yemen surfaced online.
The chat also revealed a disagreement between Vice President Vance and President Trump regarding the timing of the strikes, with Vance expressing concerns about potential economic repercussions, including a spike in oil prices. Additionally, officials debated making Europe pay for U.S. efforts to protect shipping lanes, with some members expressing frustration over European reliance on American military support.
The National Security Council has confirmed the authenticity of the leaked messages and is investigating how the journalist was added to the conversation.
