(CBSN) – Several top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, allegedly discussed a classified military operation to strike Houthi targets in Yemen through a group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal. Unknowingly, the group included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who revealed the details in an article on Monday.
How It Happened
Goldberg reported that he was added to the 18-person chat earlier this month by an account with the name of White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. He initially suspected the group might be part of a disinformation campaign or a trap for journalists. However, as the conversation unfolded, an account named “Pete Hegseth” allegedly shared specific details about the planned airstrikes, including targets, weapons, and timing—just hours before the attack took place.
The National Security Council later told CBS News that the messages appeared to be “authentic” and that they were reviewing how an unauthorized number was added to the chat.
“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” a spokesperson said. “The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our service members or our national security.”
Trump’s Response
When asked about Goldberg’s report, President Trump dismissed it, stating:
“I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business. I think it’s not much of a magazine. But I know nothing about it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later issued a statement affirming the president’s confidence in his national security team, including Waltz.
Denials and Justifications
Speaking to reporters in Hawaii, Hegseth denied discussing military plans with a journalist but did not confirm whether classified information was shared.
“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” Hegseth stated.
Goldberg, however, described the incident as an example of government officials prioritizing convenience over security.
“People have devices that are extraordinarily convenient, and government officials are just like you and me—they like convenience. They sometimes send texts to people they didn’t mean to send. But the consequences here are much higher than in regular civilian life,” he told CBS News.
Details from The Atlantic Report
According to Goldberg, he received a Signal connection request from an account named “Mike Waltz” on March 11. Two days later, he was added to a group chat titled “Houthi PC small group,” which he assumed referred to a “principals committee” of high-ranking officials.
The chat included accounts with names resembling Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
On March 14, members of the group reportedly debated the timing of a planned attack. The account named “JD Vance” questioned whether the operation would primarily benefit Europe, considering Trump’s efforts to pressure European allies to take more responsibility for their own security.
“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now. There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices,” Vance wrote, according to Goldberg.
Hegseth reportedly replied:
“VP: I understand your concerns—and fully support you raising [them] with POTUS. Important considerations, most of which are tough to know how they play out (economy, Ukraine peace, Gaza, etc.). I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what—nobody knows who the Houthis are—which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.”
On March 15, Hegseth allegedly posted a final update detailing the operation. Goldberg chose not to publish parts of the conversation that contained highly sensitive information, stating that if adversaries had read them, it “could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel.”
However, he did disclose that Hegseth mentioned the strikes would begin at 1:45 p.m. ET.
Goldberg then monitored social media for confirmation.
“So I waited in my car in a supermarket parking lot. If this Signal chat was real, I reasoned, Houthi targets would soon be bombed. At about 1:55, I checked X and searched Yemen. Explosions were then being heard across Sanaa, the capital city,” he wrote.
Goldberg then left the Signal group, triggering a notification. However, he stated that no one in the group seemed to notice his presence, nor did he receive any follow-up inquiries.
At 2:29 p.m., Trump publicly announced the attack on Truth Social:
“Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones. The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”
The Atlantic
Political Reactions
The revelations sparked immediate concern in Washington, particularly among Democratic lawmakers, who demanded an investigation into why senior officials were discussing military operations on an unclassified messaging app.
Goldberg also reported that some of the messages in the chat were set to disappear within one to four weeks, which could violate federal laws requiring the preservation of government records.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, condemned the incident.
“If true, this represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” Reed said. “Military operations need to be handled with utmost discretion, using approved, secure lines of communication, because American lives are on the line. The carelessness shown by President Trump’s cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”
At the Capitol, Republican leaders defended the administration’s response.
House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed concerns, stating:
“The administration is addressing what happened—apparently, an inadvertent phone number made it onto that thread. They’re going to track that down and make sure that doesn’t happen again. The conversation showed top-level officials doing their job, executing a plan with precision. That mission was a success. No one was jeopardized because of it.”
However, some Republican lawmakers, including Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, voiced concerns over the lack of security measures.
“We’ve all sent a text to the wrong person, but the bigger problem is they are not using secure phones to discuss war plans,” Bacon said. “This can get our troops killed. Secure phones are mandatory for these kinds of communications. Russia and China are definitely monitoring their unclassified phones, hoping they share info like this.”
Conclusion
The controversy raises serious national security concerns, as it suggests top officials may have been casually discussing classified war plans on an unprotected platform. While the Trump administration insists no damage was done, lawmakers on both sides are likely to push for further investigations into how sensitive military information was shared and whether proper security protocols were followed.
