A major security breach occurred when senior US officials inadvertently added a journalist to a private Signal messaging group discussing classified military plans for strikes in Yemen, the White House confirmed Monday.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, reported being mistakenly added to an 18-person chat group that included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other high-ranking national security officials. The group was discussing detailed operational plans for US military strikes against Houthi rebels.
According to Goldberg's account, Defense Secretary Hegseth shared specific information about targets, weapons, and attack timing approximately two hours before the actual strikes occurred on March 15. The journalist observed the sensitive communications while sitting in a supermarket parking lot and later witnessed news reports confirming the attacks.
The incident sparked immediate backlash in Washington. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it "one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence" in recent memory. Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Roger Wicker announced plans to investigate the matter.
The White House defended the administration's actions while acknowledging the breach. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the attacks were "highly successful and effective" and expressed President Trump's continued confidence in his national security team.
The chat messages also revealed internal discussions about European allies. Officials debated charging European nations for US protection of shipping lanes, with some expressing frustration over "European free-loading."
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed the authenticity of the reported message thread, stating they are "reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
The incident raises serious questions about information security practices among top government officials, as the sensitive military planning occurred on Signal, a commercial messaging app, rather than through secure government channels typically used for classified communications.