Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was questioned by reporters about a leaked Signal chat group involving Trump administration officials discussing forthcoming strikes on the Houthis in Yemen. The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, received a request to join the group chat and released screenshots of the messages. The officials were discussing “war plans,” but sensitive information about weapons packages, targets, and timing was not published due to national security concerns. Despite this, Hegseth defended the actions and claimed that nobody was texting war plans.
Speaking in Hawaii, Hegseth praised the devastatingly effective strikes against the Houthis, expressing pride in the courage and skill of the troops involved. He also criticized the Biden administration’s approach to national security and asserted that nobody was texting war plans, despite claims made by Goldberg. Hegseth claimed to have everything under control and reiterated that he was proud of the successful missions carried out that night and going forward. The Signal group chat involved 18 people, including high-ranking officials such as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe allegedly put the name of a CIA undercover agent into the Signal chat, according to Goldberg. The editor has accused Hegseth of lying about the contents of the messages and is considering publishing more to support his reporting. Despite Hegseth’s criticism of Goldberg as a deceitful journalist, the White House confirmed that the group chat was authentic and part of senior officials’ policy coordination efforts. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation was cited as evidence that there were no threats to troops or national security.
The Signal chat has been viewed as a major breach of national security, as senior officials are not typically allowed to discuss detailed military plans outside of secure facilities or government networks. Watchdog group American Oversight has filed a lawsuit against Hegseth and other officials for failing to adhere to the Federal Records Act by using Signal to communicate sensitive military information. Hegseth, amidst the scrutiny over the chat, participated in physical training with Navy SEALs to showcase their skills and contributions to national security.
