Washington — A serious security mistake has sparked anger in Washington after a journalist was accidentally added to a private group chat where top Trump administration officials were discussing U.S. military plans in Yemen.
The group chat, created on the encrypted messaging app Signal, included key officials like National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Vice President JD Vance. Shockingly, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to the group.
This mistake led to a major uproar from lawmakers in both parties, with Democrats demanding an immediate investigation and Republicans expressing concern but showing more restraint.
What Happened in the Group Chat?
According to The Atlantic, Goldberg was added to the Signal group earlier this month. In the chat, Hegseth shared sensitive information about U.S. airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, with other officials reacting and giving their input — just before the strikes happened.
Although The Atlantic didn’t publish all the messages due to national security concerns, the National Security Council (NSC) confirmed the chat is likely authentic and said it is reviewing how the error occurred.
“The message thread… appears to be authentic,” the NSC said in a statement. “We are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
Lawmakers React Swiftly
Democrats expressed deep concern, calling it dangerous, irresponsible, and possibly illegal.
Senator Jack Reed, top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called it one of the “most egregious failures of operational security” he has ever seen.
Senator Chuck Schumer demanded a full investigation, saying:
“This debacle requires a full investigation into how this happened, the damage it created, and how we can avoid it in the future.”
Representative Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said:
“You’re discussing war plans over the Signal app. That’s just unimaginable.”
Even Republican lawmakers, though less critical, expressed worry. Sen. Roger Wicker said “mistakes were made” and confirmed the Senate Armed Services Committee will investigate.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, said:
“This can get our troops killed. Secure phones are mandatory for these kinds of communications.”
Trump and His Team Defend the Officials
President Trump dismissed the issue, saying:
“I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. It’s not much of a magazine.”
His spokesperson added that he still has full confidence in his national security team.
House Speaker Mike Johnson downplayed the breach and praised the officials, saying they did a good job in carrying out the mission. He also said Waltz, who reportedly started the chat, should not face punishment.
Defense Secretary Hegseth denied sharing war plans and called the reporter “a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist.”
National Security Concerns Raised
Intelligence experts and lawmakers warned that top officials using non-secure apps like Signal could expose the U.S. to serious risks.
Rep. Jim Himes, a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said foreign enemies could have hacked the phones.
“It is by the grace of God that one of those enemies didn’t alert the Houthis in advance… We could have lost pilots.”
Rep. Betty McCollum questioned whether this mistake could even fall under violations of the Espionage Act.
The accidental addition of a reporter to a group chat discussing U.S. military strikes in Yemen has triggered widespread concern in Congress. Lawmakers are demanding answers on how such a serious breach could happen, and how to prevent it in the future.
While the Trump administration downplayed the mistake, critics say this incident exposes dangerous flaws in how sensitive information is handled at the highest levels. With both national security and the safety of U.S. troops at stake, a full investigation now appears inevitable.