Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vehemently denied on Monday that any sensitive “war plans” were being discussed in a Signal chat group that inadvertently included a journalist. The Atlantic had reported on a breach of national security involving high-level Trump administration officials, with internal deliberations and operational details about airstrikes against Houthi terrorists being discussed in the chat group. However, Hegseth insisted that no war plans were being discussed in that context.
The editor of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was added to the Signal chat on March 11, well in advance of the airstrikes in Yemen on March 15. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed that the messages in Goldberg’s report appeared to be authentic and stated that the NSC is investigating how the journalist was added to the chat without sufficient vetting. Despite this breach, Hegseth made it clear that no actual war plans were being discussed in the Signal chain.
Hegseth criticized Goldberg, calling him a “deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist” who has a history of peddling hoaxes. He referenced Goldberg’s reporting on the debunked allegations of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, as well as his articles on Trump’s comments about the Charlottesville rally and the accusations of Trump disparaging US troops. Hegseth dismissed Goldberg’s credibility and emphasized the military’s efforts to address the situation with Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
The article revealed that former Republican congressman Mike Waltz, who serves as the national security adviser, is at risk of losing his job over the incident. A senior Trump administration official criticized Waltz for not vetting the participants in the chat group and for discussing sensitive information on an insecure platform like Signal. Discussions are ongoing within the administration about Waltz’s future, with some officials believing that he may not survive the fallout from the scandal.
Despite the controversy, President Trump expressed confidence in his national security team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Sources indicated that Trump had spoken with Waltz following the report, suggesting that the administration is evaluating the situation internally. With differing opinions among staffers about Waltz’s future, it remains to be seen how the Trump administration will handle the aftermath of the breach in national security protocols.
In conclusion, the breach of national security involving the discussion of sensitive information in a Signal chat group led to widespread backlash against high-level Trump administration officials. Despite Defense Secretary Hegseth’s denial of any war plans being discussed in the chat, the incident has put the future of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in question. The White House continues to stand by its national security team, but the fallout from the breach has raised concerns about accountability and security protocols within the administration.
