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ASHINGTON (AP) — Reports indicate that President Donald Trump’s senior national security team, including his defense secretary, used a secure messaging app to discuss military strategies for operations in Yemen. This group chat reportedly included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, as revealed in an article that surfaced online on Monday. The National Security Council has confirmed the authenticity of these text exchanges.
Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg mentioned that the messages contained “operational details regarding imminent attacks on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen,” outlining specifics about the targets, the types of weaponry intended for use, and the order of the strikes.
It is still uncertain if the information shared regarding this military operation was classified, as such data is generally safeguarded to maintain operational secrecy and protect the safety of military personnel. Since November 2023, the U.S. has been conducting airstrikes against Houthi forces following their attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.
Notably, just two hours after Goldberg received information about the planned strike on March 15, the U.S. launched a series of airstrikes aimed at Houthi positions in Yemen.
The National Security Council has announced that they are looking into how a journalist’s contact number ended up in the Signal group chat.
In light of these revelations, Trump told reporters he was unaware of any potential security issues.
“I know nothing about it,” Trump stated, dismissing The Atlantic as “not much of a magazine.” He went on to say, “I don’t have any information on this. You’re telling me for the first time.”
Although government officials have used Signal for various organizational discussions, it is not classified and poses risks of hacking.
This leak of sensitive details coincides with a recent announcement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, which has initiated a crackdown on unauthorized information leaks, potentially involving polygraph tests for defense personnel to determine how reporters acquire sensitive information.
Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for Hegseth, has not yet addressed questions regarding why the defense secretary would share military operational plans via an unclassified application.
The management of national defense information is strictly controlled by law, notably under the Espionage Act, which includes penalties for the unauthorized removal of such information, even in cases of gross negligence.
In 2015 and 2016, the Justice Department examined whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton violated the law by discussing classified issues with her aides via a private email server, but the FBI ultimately recommended against pressing charges.
During the Biden administration, certain officials were allowed to install Signal on their White House-issued phones but were advised to limit its use, according to a former national security official from that administration.
This official, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the communication methods, noted that Signal was primarily used for “tippers,” which notified colleagues when they were away from the office or traveling abroad to check their classified inboxes for important messages.
Furthermore, during the Biden administration, the app was also employed to coordinate sensitive meetings and classified phone calls when officials were not in their offices.
