Trump Shares Classified Yemen Strike Plans on Signal—With a Reporter Accidentally in the Chat

Former national security officials expressed shock after The Atlantic revealed that top Trump administration officials discussed highly sensitive U.S. military strikes on Yemen in a Signal group chat-which accidentally included a reporter. The messages, containing operational details on planned strikes against Houthi militants, were sent over the encrypted app rather than secure government systems, raising serious legal and security concerns.

A Stunning Security Lapse

According to The Atlantic, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz created the Signal group earlier this month, adding Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and-mistakenly-Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg. The chat included discussions on timing, targets, and weaponry for the Yemen strikes, followed by self-congratulatory messages after the operation. Goldberg eventually left the chat, but not before witnessing the exchange.

"Dear Sweet Baby Jesus," one former senior official reacted. Another flatly stated there was no comparable use of Signal for military planning under Biden.

Signal: Secure, But Not for Classified Ops

While Signal is encrypted and open-source, making it popular among officials for logistical discussions, using it for military operations is unprecedented and dangerous. Experts warn that foreign hackers (including Russian-linked groups) have targeted Signal users, risking exposure of top-secret intelligence.

Pentagon rules explicitly ban Signal for discussing non-public defense information, yet Hegseth allegedly shared strike sequencing and weapon details-actions that, if done by lower-level staff, would trigger security clearance revocations or Espionage Act charges.

Would This Be Investigated for Anyone Else?

Under normal circumstances, such a breach would prompt an FBI and DOJ national security probe. But since the participants include the very officials who'd authorize an investigation, accountabili seems unlikely.

"If anyone else did it, no question it would be investigated," a former Justice official said.

Trump's Response: "I Know Nothing"

When asked, Trump denied awareness of the incident, dismissing The Atlantic as "a magazine that's going out of business." Meanwhile, NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes called the chat "deep and thoughtful policy coordination"-ignoring the security implications.

"Somebody Needs to Get Fired"

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called the lapse a "serious blunder" that could have endangered troops if a hostile actor had been added instead of Goldberg.

Marco Rubio, who once condemned Hillary Clinton's private email use, now faces scrutiny for his participation in the unsecured chat.