Politicians are calling for an investigation after a significant blunder by Donald Trump’s team, where a journalist was reportedly added to an unsecure group chat discussing plans for an upcoming military attack.
Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, stated that he was mistakenly added to a Signal messaging group that included some of Trump’s top officials.
According to Goldberg, the group comprised Vice-President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allegedly discussing plans for US strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Goldberg mentioned that he received a connection request from someone appearing to be White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz before being added to the group. However, he admitted he “did not assume that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz.”
The journalist claimed he had seen classified military plans, including “information about targets, and weapons the U.S. would be deploying” two hours before the bombs struck.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told the BBC: “At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic. We are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread demonstrates deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials.”
Goldberg commented that it was fortunate he was the one mistakenly added to the chat, rather than someone who supported the Houthis.
Speaking to PBS, he said, “If they were going to pick an errant phone number, at least it wasn’t somebody who supported the Houthis, because they were actually handing out information that I believe could have endangered the lives of American service people involved in that operation.”
When questioned about the incident on Monday afternoon (March 26), Trump claimed he was unaware of The Atlantic article.
Following the incident, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement:
“The attacks on the Houthis have been highly successful and effective. President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.”
Despite the alleged success of the operation, both Republican and Democrat politicians have expressed alarm over the situation, with some demanding an investigation.
“This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence that I have read about in a very, very long time,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, stated that his panel plans to investigate the incident.
“It’s definitely a concern,” he added. “It appears that mistakes were made.”
