Trump administration is criticized for adding a journalist to an unsecured group chat discussing plans for an upcoming military attack.
The Trump administration is facing serious criticism after a major mistake.
A group chat that included a journalist accidentally shared sensitive military plans.
This incident has raised alarms about security and communication within the government.
Trump administration accidentally leaked classified US war plans in a group chat with a journalist
Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, mistakenly added to a group chat.
This chat included some of Donald Trump’s top officials, like Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The group discussed plans for military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Goldberg received a connection request from someone who appeared to be Michael Waltz, the National Security Advisor. However, he was not sure if it was truly Waltz.
Despite the uncertainty, they added him to the chat, and he saw classified military details two hours before the strikes.
Details of the shared information
Goldberg reported that he viewed important information in the chat.
This included specific targets and the types of weapons that the U.S. would be using.
He expressed concern that this information could have been dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands.
In an interview, Goldberg remarked that it fortunate they added him to the chat instead of someone sympathetic to the Houthis.
He believed that sharing such information could endanger American service members involved in the operation.
“If they were going to pick an errant phone number, I mean at least it wasn’t somebody who supported the Houthis, because they were actually handing out information that I believe could have endangered the lives of American service people who were involved in that operation.”
Trump administration responded to the incident
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed the authenticity of the message thread.
“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic. 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.”
Trump did not seem aware of the situation initially. He told reporters that he had not read the article from The Atlantic that reported the incident.
Political reactions and calls for investigation
The reaction from politicians has been swift. Leaders from both parties have expressed shock at the incident.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “stunning breach of military intelligence.”
He emphasized that this kind of error is unacceptable.
Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced plans to investigate the matter.
He stated that the situation was concerning and confirmed that officials had made mistakes. Such bipartisan concern highlights its seriousness.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the incident.
The statement read: “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.”