Trump's denial of being aware of war plan leak has critics asking 'who exactly is running the government'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump claimed to be unaware of a cabinet-level breach of classified information concerning a planned military strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen during a press conference on Monday, March 24, reported Raw Story.

Earlier that day, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a report where he claimed to have been inadvertantly added to a Signal group chat which included up to 18 top national security officials as well as Vice President JD Vance. 

The report noted that Vance apparently questioned the 71-year-old president's judgment in the chat, a claim that his spokesperson has since denied. 

Donald Trump denies knowledge of war plan leak

When Donald Trump was asked his opinion on the high-level breach of sensitive data during a press conference later in the day, he claimed to be completely unaware of it.

“I don’t know anything about it,” Trump stated before attacking the publication that first reported the leak. "I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic, it’s, 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,” he added.

Trump then proceeded to ask the reporter about the details, repeating, “You’re saying that they had what?” “Having to do with what?" and "What were they talking about?”

He seemingly failed to wrap his head around the incident as he stated that the leak “couldn’t have been very effective because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that.”

He went on to deny having prior knowledge of the leak again, saying, "I don’t know anything about it. You, you’re telling me about it for the first time.”

The situation unfolded days after Trump went after his predecessor Joe Biden for using autopen to sign official documents. He also accused the former president of being absent and not performing his duties.

Critics blast Donald Trump and his administration after he denies being aware of war plan leak 

While Donald Trump insisted that he was not aware of the leak of sensitive information, the White House reportedly admitted that the breach had taken place. 

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said, "The message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”

Meanwhile, critics of the president have since flooded social media slamming him and his administration over the incident.

Calling out Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, former US Naval War College professor and The Atlantic contributor Tom Nichols posted on X (formerly Twitter), "If the President is telling the truth and no one's briefed him about this yet, that's another story in itself. In any other administration, CoS would have been in the Oval within nanoseconds of learning about something like this."

"Heads need to roll for this. They have broken laws and endangered the lives of our service members with this idiocy,” observed Army veteran Fred Wellman.

“What’s worse is that he HAS no idea, allegedly, about the story, which makes it even worse and more terrifying. Like, bro, why don’t you know?” inquired journalist Wajahat Ali.

"One wild thing about Trump is that he is notoriously insulated from certain information streams by his team. Absolutely believable that he went out to the podium having not been informed of this massive story bc the people who brief him on info were culpable in the leaks," wrote journalist Isaac Saul. 

Sophia Kinzinger, former press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, shared, "Here’s some insight: The White House has an entire department, staffed by military professionals, dedicated to facilitating secure communications. They travel with staff, provide devices, and set up SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities) whenever and wherever needed, operating 24/7. There is absolutely no excuse for mishandling classified information, especially for someone leading the National Security Council at the White House. Their actions clearly demonstrate a lack of qualification for such a critical role. we deserve better!"

“If it’s true that the President of the United States had no idea that his war cabinet and VP were discussing war plans on a Signal chat that included a journalist, that is astounding ignorance and profound incompetence," stated Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-Tx).

Former NSA member Derek Martin further asked, "If Trump doesn’t know about a major incident involving his VP, Chief of Staff, NatSec Advisor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Director of National Intelligence, and CIA Director, then who exactly is running the government?”

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