Washington, D.C. — Tensions remain high at the White House after a surprising misstep involving two senior officials, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who reportedly held a sensitive military meeting over a non-government messaging app and accidentally included a journalist.
While the two have not lost their positions, President Trump is still privately upset, sources say, and is closely watching how the situation develops in the media.
What Exactly Happened?
According to multiple sources, Waltz and Hegseth discussed a planned military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen via the Signal app, which is not an official government communication tool.
Things became more serious when Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to the chat.
Once the story was published by The Atlantic, Waltz confirmed the details were accurate in private discussions. This sparked internal debates in the White House over whether he should resign. However, Waltz did not offer to step down, and President Trump has not asked him to, sources confirmed.
President Trump’s Reaction
Trump’s frustration isn’t only about the Signal app—sources say he’s more annoyed that Waltz even had Goldberg’s phone number in the first place.
In public, Trump tried to downplay the incident, calling Waltz “a good man” who had “learned a lesson.”
Still, insiders say the issue remains “a hot potato,” with several officials in the administration still unhappy, including Trump himself.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the president “continues to have confidence in his national security team,” but did not rule out firings over the matter.
More Confusion This Week
This wasn’t the only trouble for the administration. On Wednesday, during an on-camera Oval Office event, Trump was caught off guard when a reporter asked him about four missing U.S. Army soldiers in Lithuania.
“No, I haven’t [been briefed],” Trump replied.
The soldiers had gone missing a day earlier, and the Pentagon had already publicly confirmed the incident by Wednesday afternoon. However, Trump had not been informed by his team.
It’s known that Trump often skips daily intelligence briefings, unlike past presidents.
Investigations and Fallout
On Thursday, Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, formally requested an investigation into the Signal app incident. He asked the acting Inspector General of the Defense Department to brief the Senate on the matter.
Sources clarified that it was Mike Waltz who added Goldberg to the group chat, not Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong, who has been criticized by conservative media but did not organise the chat. He only participated in it.
Officials believe the journalist’s inclusion was a genuine mistake, not a deliberate leak.
Even Elon Musk is reviewing the incident, which shows the level of attention the case is receiving.
According to insiders, Trump and his top officials are trying not to appear weak or allow Democrats or The Atlantic to gain the upper hand by removing key staff publicly.
The accidental inclusion of a journalist in a top-level military chat has triggered a political and security controversy in Washington. While no resignations have occurred yet, the incident continues to embarrass the Trump administration, especially as criticism grows from within the Republican Party and the media.
Though described as a mistake, the situation is far from over. With an ongoing investigation, pressure is mounting on Trump’s national security team to be more cautious—and more transparent.