White House Official Confirms Yemen Strike Plans Were Mistakenly Texted to Journalist
The White House has confirmed that sensitive information about upcoming military strikes in Yemen was shared with a group chat, including the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine. Brian Hughes, a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, said the text chain "appears to be authentic and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
The Breach: Top Trump Officials Shared War Plans with Journalist
Top national security officials for U.S. President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary and vice-president, texted about war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic magazine.
The material in the text chain between Signal accounts that appear to belong to top Trump officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance, "contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing," editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported.
Trump's Response
Trump initially told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, two and a half hours after it was reported. He later appeared to joke about the breach, amplifying a social media posting from Elon Musk spotlighting a conservative satirical news site article with the cutting headline: "4D Chess: Trump Leaks War Plans to 'The Atlantic' Where No One Will Ever See Them."
Investigation and Condemnation
Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be accessed by unauthorized individuals. The handling of national defense information is strictly governed by law under the century-old Espionage Act.
The U.S. Justice Department in 2015 and 2016 investigated whether former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton broke the law by communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up, though the FBI ultimately recommended against charges and none were brought.
Criticism of Hegseth
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Hegseth, "the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat."
Bipartisan Response
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to learn more about what happened. "Obviously, we got to run it to the ground, figure out what went on there," said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.
Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Monday, "We're very concerned about it and we'll be looking into it on a bipartisan basis."
Lower-Ranking Official Response
If a lower-ranking official "did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation," Sen. Roger Wicker said.
Conclusion
The White House has confirmed that sensitive information about upcoming military strikes in Yemen was shared with a group chat, including the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine. An investigation is ongoing, and officials are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.