The Trump administration accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor to a private Signal chat discussing military operations in Yemen, causing a national security controversy the President claims to know nothing about.
Quick Takes
- Top Trump officials reportedly included Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat discussing sensitive details about military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
- President Trump denies knowledge of the incident, dismissing The Atlantic as “a magazine that’s going out of business.”
- The chat included high-level officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, VP JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussing operational details.
- While Democrats call for investigations, Republicans downplay the incident as an inadvertent mistake with no threat to national security.
- The White House confirmed the authenticity of the messages while emphasizing the successful outcome of the military operation.
Trump Denies Knowledge of Signal Chat Controversy
President Donald Trump has firmly denied knowing anything about a report from The Atlantic claiming his administration officials inadvertently included the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat discussing military operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. When questioned about the alleged security breach, Trump dismissed both the report and the publication outright, focusing instead on the successful outcome of the military strikes that took place on March 15th against Houthi targets in response to their attacks on American warships.
“I don’t know anything about it, I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me it’s a magazine that’s going out of business … but I know nothing about it,” Trump remarked when asked about the report. He further emphasized, “Well it couldn’t have been very effective because the attack was very effective … I don’t know anything about it, you’re telling me about it for the first time.”
Jeffrey Goldberg on Trump not knowing about the Signal group chat: "I alerted the White House shortly after 9 in the morning." pic.twitter.com/5QK1HqNsk8
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) March 25, 2025
The Alleged Security Breach Details
According to reports, Jeffrey Goldberg was somehow inadvertently added to a Signal group chat that included some of the highest-ranking officials in the Trump administration. The conversation reportedly involved detailed discussions about military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, including operational specifics that Goldberg chose not to quote due to potential security risks. The chat allegedly included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Hegseth has disputed how the communications have been characterized, “I’ve heard how it was characterized. Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” Hegseth stated bluntly.
Administration Response and Fallout
The White House has confirmed the authenticity of the messages while attempting to minimize the significance of the breach. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes acknowledged the situation while emphasizing that no sensitive military information was compromised, “At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our servicemembers or our national security,” stated Hughes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has downplayed the incident, confirming there would be no disciplinary action against the officials involved. When asked if national security adviser Mike Waltz or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would face consequences, Johnson replied, “no, no of course not.” He attributed the mistake to “an inadvertent phone number being added to the thread” and emphasized that steps are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Security Implications and Political Divide
The incident has created a stark political divide in Washington, with Democrats calling for investigations while Republicans focus on the successful military operation against the Houthis. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed President Trump’s confidence in his national security team, stating: “As President Trump said, 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.”
Security experts note that the use of personal devices and commercial messaging apps for sensitive government communications raises serious concerns, regardless of the specific content shared. The Pentagon and State Department have referred questions to the National Security Council, which is reportedly reviewing how the mistake occurred while maintaining that the incident posed no threat to troops or national security despite the unintended inclusion of a journalist in high-level military planning discussions.
Sources:
Messages with Yemen war plans inadvertently shared with reporter appears ‘authentic’: Official
Speaker Johnson: Waltz, Hegseth shouldn’t be disciplined over war plans Signal chat
