Top officials from the Trump administration accidentally shared sensitive war plans in a messaging group that included a journalist, shortly before the U.S. launched an attack on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, according to a report by The Atlantic.
Democratic lawmakers quickly criticized the blunder, calling it a breach of national security and a violation of the law that warrants a Congressional investigation.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed in a report on Monday that he was unexpectedly added on March 13 to an encrypted chat group on the Signal messaging app titled “Houthi PC small group.” In this group, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz tasked his deputy, Alex Wong, to form a “tiger team” to coordinate U.S. actions against the Houthis.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council (NSC), confirmed that the chat group appeared to be legitimate.
On March 15, President Donald Trump initiated a large-scale military campaign against the Houthis, citing their attacks on Red Sea shipping. He also warned Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer, to cease support for the group.
Hours before the attacks began, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared operational details in the group, including target information, the weapons to be used, and attack sequencing. Although Goldberg did not disclose specific details, he described it as a “shockingly reckless” use of the Signal app.
The chat reportedly included accounts representing Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior NSC officials, as per Goldberg’s report.
Joe Kent, Trump’s nominee for National Counterterrorism Center Director, was also apparently part of the chain, despite not yet being Senate-confirmed.
Trump told reporters he was unaware of the incident, stating, “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic.” Later, a White House official confirmed an investigation was underway and that Trump had been briefed.
Hughes from the NSC said the reported thread appeared authentic, and the review was ongoing to understand how the wrong number was added to the chain. He added that the thread showed “deep and thoughtful policy coordination” and emphasized that the successful operation against the Houthis demonstrated no risks to U.S. service members or national security.
Hegseth denied sharing any war plans in the chat, stating, “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” during a trip to Hawaii on Monday.
According to screenshots obtained by The Atlantic, officials in the chat discussed the timing and rationale for the strikes. Vance reportedly questioned whether the U.S. should assist European allies in light of the risks to Red Sea shipping, expressing frustration at “bailing Europe out again.” Hegseth responded with strong disapproval of “European free-loading.”
There were also concerns about the timing of the attacks, with one individual suggesting they should be delayed for a month due to potential inconsistencies with Trump’s message on Europe and the risk of a spike in oil prices.
The U.S. has not yet received comment from Yemen, the Houthis, or the European Union on the matter.
Under U.S. law, mishandling or misusing classified information can be a criminal offense, though it is unclear whether these provisions were violated. The fact that messages in the group were set to disappear raises questions about potential violations of federal record-keeping laws.
In response to leaks of unrelated classified information within the Trump administration, Gabbard posted on X on March 14 that any “unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such.”
Gabbard is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 14 regarding global threats to the U.S.
Signal, which was created by entrepreneur Moxie Marlinspike, has transitioned from a tool used by privacy-conscious dissidents to a preferred messaging app for Washington officials.
Democratic lawmakers have condemned the use of the Signal group as illegal, calling for a full 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, adding that he would work with Majority Leader John Thune to probe the incident.
Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, stated that they would investigate the matter further, but there was no immediate indication that the breach would lead to any personnel changes at the White House.
“President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called the use of Signal for discussing national security issues “blatantly illegal and dangerous beyond belief,” while Senator Chris Coons stated that every official in the chat “has now committed a crime – even if accidentally – that would normally involve a jail sentence.”
