In a striking security incident, top officials in the Trump administration inadvertently shared sensitive military plans with a journalist, prompting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to express disbelief over the situation.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Clinton wrote Monday, March 25, on social media, along with a looking eyes emoji and a screenshot of the article. Her reaction came after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, published a story detailing how he was accidentally added to a group chat where Trump administration officials discussed military strikes in Yemen.
According to Goldberg’s account, he received a connection request on Signal from someone identified as Michael Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser. Days later, he was added to a group chat titled “Houthi PC small group,” which appeared to include high-ranking officials planning military operations.
The group reportedly included 18 people, including what appeared to be Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, among others.
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, confirmed the authenticity of the message thread revealed in Goldberg’s report. Hughes stated they were reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain and characterized the thread as showing coordination between senior officials with no threats to servicemembers or national security.
Goldberg wrote that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared operational details about pending airstrikes in Yemen, including information about weapons, targets, and timing shortly before the attack took place. Initially skeptical, Goldberg became convinced of the chat’s authenticity when explosions were reported in Sanaa at the time mentioned in the messages.
When questioned by reporters, Hegseth denied sharing war plans. However, in an interview with MSNBC, Goldberg maintained that the chat contained minute-by-minute details of the planned operation organized by CENTCOM.
The incident has drawn criticism from Democrats and raised questions about the Trump administration’s handling of sensitive information. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut urged Republican colleagues to treat the issue seriously, describing it as “appallingly fundamental” and “staggering.”
Some Republicans downplayed the security breach. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the leak showed officials doing their job with no one jeopardized, adding that the administration acknowledged the mistake and would ensure it didn’t happen again.
President Trump, who did not appear to be included in the group chat, initially distanced himself from the incident, stating he didn’t know anything about it and expressing his unfavorable opinion of The Atlantic.
However, in a later phone interview, Trump defended Waltz, saying: “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” Trump described the situation as the only glitch in two months that wasn’t serious.
The security breach has highlighted what some view as hypocrisy, as several of the Trump administration officials involved in the Signal chat had previously criticized Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State. Clinton’s email practices became a central issue during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Clinton’s use of a private email server drew controversy and led to an FBI investigation, which found that Clinton and her staff were extremely careless in handling classified information but determined that no criminal charges were appropriate. The investigation became a major issue during the 2016 presidential election, with critics alleging Clinton deleted emails and destroyed evidence.
FBI Director James Comey stated in July 2016 that despite evidence of potential violations regarding the handling of classified information, no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. Clinton later said that the FBI investigation contributed to her loss in the presidential race.
The fallout from the Signal group chat incident continues, with some in Washington questioning whether Waltz will ultimately keep his position. Reports suggest there’s debate in Trump’s circle over whether Waltz will face consequences after the messaging mishap.
However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has reaffirmed the president’s support, stating that Trump maintains confidence in his national security team, including Waltz, and considers the attacks on the Houthis successful and effective.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to hear testimony from at least two officials implicated in the Signal leak—Gabbard and Ratcliffe—who were set to appear on Capitol Hill to offer their assessments of national security matters.
