Chicago – March 24, 2025
Top officials in the Trump administration accidentally revealed secret military plans in a messaging group that included a journalist just before the U.S. launched an attack on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. The White House confirmed this on Monday after a report from The Atlantic.
On March 13, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was invited to an encrypted Signal chat group called the “Houthi PC small group.” In the chat, national security adviser Mike Waltz assigned his deputy, Alex Wong, to organize U.S. action against the Houthis.
Hours before the attack on March 15, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive details about the military plan in the group, including information about targets, weapons, and the attack strategy.
This mistake raised concerns, with Democratic lawmakers calling it a serious breach of national security and a violation of the law. The group also included high-ranking officials, such as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, among others.
President Trump denied knowing about the incident, stating he was not a fan of The Atlantic. The White House said an investigation was underway, and Trump had been briefed on the situation.
