In a major national security blunder, top Trump administration officials accidentally shared classified war plans in a Signal chat group that included a journalist, The Atlantic revealed. The disclosure occurred days before the U.S. launched military strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, prompting outrage from lawmakers and calls for a congressional investigation.
According to The Atlantic's editor Jeffrey Goldberg, he was unexpectedly added to a Signal group titled “Houthi PC small group” on March 13. Participants reportedly included National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Deputy Alex Wong, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others. The group discussed strategy, targets, and even debated whether the strikes should proceed, with Vice President JD Vance expressing skepticism and frustration over “European free-loading.”
Hegseth allegedly shared sensitive operational details just hours before the March 15 strikes. While he denied revealing classified plans, screenshots cited by The Atlantic suggested otherwise. President Trump, when asked, claimed ignorance of the leak, though the White House later confirmed the chat’s authenticity and announced an ongoing investigation.
Critics, including Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, and Chris Coons, labeled the incident as one of the most severe intelligence breaches in recent memory. Concerns were also raised over the use of disappearing messages on Signal, potentially violating federal record-keeping laws.
Despite the uproar, the White House stated Trump maintains full confidence in his national security team. As questions swirl over legal violations and poor judgment, scrutiny intensifies ahead of Tulsi Gabbard’s scheduled Senate testimony on national threats.
The unauthorized leak underscores growing risks in digital communications and the legal consequences of mishandling classified information at the highest levels of government.