The Trump administration is facing serious backlash after National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added a liberal journalist to a top-secret Signal chat about U.S. military strikes on Yemen. The blunder has strained relations between America and its closest ally, Israel, which provided critical intelligence for the operation.
At a glance:
• Mike Waltz mistakenly included The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal group chat discussing sensitive military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen
• The chat contained details about Israeli intelligence that helped identify and eliminate a key Houthi missile commander
• Israeli officials are reportedly furious about the security breach involving their sensitive intelligence
• The Trump administration maintains no classified information was shared despite clear operational details being included
• The Senate Armed Services Committee has requested an investigation, but the Justice Department is unlikely to pursue the matter
Security Breach Exposes Military Plans
The incident dubbed “SignalGate” has revealed how the Trump administration mistakenly shared sensitive operational details with a journalist during preparations for military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz created a Signal group chat for “coordination on Houthis” that somehow included Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic.
The chat contained military strike details and mentioned Israeli intelligence that helped identify a high-value Houthi target, referred to as “their top missile guy.” The security lapse has prompted tensions between U.S. and Israeli officials, who are upset about their intelligence being compromised.
Messages in the group chat explicitly mentioned the timeline for strikes and confirmed successful hits, including one message from Waltz stating, “The first target—their top missile guy—we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it is now collapsed.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the controversy, saying, “Obviously, someone made a mistake. Someone made a big mistake and added a journalist. Nothing against journalists, but you’re not supposed to be on that thing.”
Israeli Outrage and Administration Damage Control
Israeli officials have expressed frustration over the leak. The intelligence they provided was critical in identifying and eliminating a key Houthi leader, and its public disclosure potentially compromises future operations and sources.
When questioned about the incident, President Trump appeared uninformed, stating, “I don’t know. I’m not sure. You have to ask the various people involved. I really don’t know.” His response added to concerns about the administration’s handling of sensitive security matters.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to downplay the situation by denying the messages contained “war plans” or “attack plans,” characterizing them as merely a “team update.”
Congressional Oversight and Legal Questions
The Senate Armed Services Committee has requested a formal investigation into the sharing of classified information on unsecured platforms. Committee members expressed particular concern about the use of Signal for discussing military operations, which may violate established security protocols.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard joined other administration officials in denying wrongdoing, telling Senators at a congressional hearing, “I’ll reiterate that there was no classified material that was shared.”
While the Trump administration continues damage control efforts, the successful military operation did hit over 30 key Houthi targets on March 15. The administration is now investigating how Goldberg was added to the chat, with National Security Adviser Waltz taking responsibility and suggesting it resulted from a mix-up in contact numbers.
