In an extraordinary security breach, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a high-level Trump administration Signal chat group that discussed classified military plans against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The private messaging group, titled "Houthi PC small group," included senior officials like National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and other cabinet members who openly discussed operational details of imminent strikes.
On March 15, Secretary Hegseth shared specific information about targets, weapons, and attack timing - just two hours before the actual military operation began. The strikes resulted in multiple explosions across Sanaa, Yemen's capital city, with the Houthi-run health ministry reporting at least 53 casualties.
The incident revealed internal disagreements among top officials. Vice President Vance expressed concerns about the timing and messaging of the operation, noting potential economic impacts and questioning whether President Trump fully understood the implications for U.S.-European relations.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed the authenticity of the Signal group, stating they were "reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain." He defended the discussion as showing "deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials."
National security experts consulted by The Atlantic noted that using Signal for such sensitive military communications likely violated multiple federal laws, including provisions of the Espionage Act and federal records preservation requirements. The platform is not authorized for sharing classified information, with government officials typically required to use secure facilities and approved systems for such discussions.
The leak represents an unprecedented breach in U.S. national security protocols, particularly given Trump's previous criticism of Hillary Clinton's private email server use and his own indictment for mishandling classified documents.
The administration's casual handling of classified information on an unauthorized platform raises serious questions about operational security practices at the highest levels of government.