Outrage as Trump official accidentally adds journalist to secret US war plans group chat: 'Fire him now'
WASHINGTON, DC: In a stunning new report, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, claims he was inadvertently added to a secret Signal group chat where President Donald Trump's Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, allegedly discussed a bombing plan in Yemen.
According to the report, the chat involved discussions about a bombing operation in Yemen, with precise details on weapons, targets, and the timing of the attack before it occurred. Goldberg has since provided a detailed account of how he was invited to the group and who extended the invitation.
Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg reveals how he was added to Signal app
A report reveals that several high-ranking officials from Donald Trump’s administration were allegedly discussing a military operation to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen within a group chat on Signal, a messaging app known for its encryption.
Among those involved in the conversation were Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance. However, the group chat was unintentionally joined by Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of a prominent political magazine.
Goldberg recounted in the report how he was added to the chat, where he found discussions about the bombing plan, including specific details on weapons and targets, as per People.
Goldberg explained that on March 11, he received an unexpected connection request on Signal from a user named "Mike Waltz", who is identified as the White House national security advisor. Just two days later, Goldberg was added to a group labeled "Houth PC small group," which he speculated stood for "Principals Committee."
While Signal is commonly used by government officials due to its encryption, it is not entirely secure and can be hacked.
On March 14, Goldberg reported that the group, which included Vance, Hegseth, and other officials, discussed the timing of a military strike against the Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group classified as a terrorist organization by the White House.
Jeffrey Goldberg explains JD Vance's conversation with Pete Hegseth on Signal app
In the group chat, JD Vance allegedly argued that taking action against the Houthis could benefit Europe, aligning with Trump’s push for European allies, like Ukraine, to take stronger measures for their national security.
Vance reportedly expressed concerns, stating, "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."
He also suggested, "I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc."
Hegseth responded, acknowledging Vance’s concerns, saying, "VP: I understand your concerns — and fully support you raising w/ 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."
Vance then reportedly replied, "If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again."
Hegseth responded, "VP I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space."
The following day, Hegseth shared additional messages that Goldberg said he would not publish in The Atlantic due to their sensitive nature. Goldberg explained that the messages contained information that "could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command's area of responsibility."
Pete Hegseth denies war plans leak in Signal chat
On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth strongly denied that sensitive "war plans" were discussed in a Signal chat group that accidentally included a journalist.
When asked about a report from The Atlantic exposing a significant breach of national security involving senior Trump administration officials, Hegseth responded firmly, "Nobody was texting war plans and that’s all I have to say about that," as per New York Post.
He also criticized Goldberg, calling him "a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again."
Internet in uproar as Trump’s admin accidentally adds journalist to secret group chat
After the leak of a top-secret chat between Pete Hegseth and JD Vance discussing US war plans, many Facebook users quickly criticized the Trump administration.
One commenter shared, "Unqualified and dangerous."
A second commented, "Defense secretary is a DEI hire. Fire him now!!!"
A third user wrote, "This is what unqualified gets you."
A comment wrote, "How many clowns can there be in one circus."
"YOU'RE FIRED," a comment read.
A Facebook user questioned, "Shouldn’t he be arrested for sharing confidential government information?"
A last user shared, "He needs to resign. This is an embarrassment."
Are the texts between JD Vance and Pete Hegseth legitimate?
According to a report from the National Security Council (NSC) to CBS News, the texts appear to be authentic.
A spokesperson for the NSC stated, "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."
The spokesperson went on to say, "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."
In response, President Trump told reporters that he was unaware of the incident. "I know nothing about it," Trump said, dismissing The Atlantic as "not much of a magazine."
"I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time," he added.
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
