National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Under Investigation After Journalist Added to Secret Military Chat
White House probes security breach after senior officials shared classified details about Yemen strike in encrypted group with unintended participant
The White House has launched an internal investigation after National Security Advisor Mike Waltz mistakenly added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private Signal group chat used by senior administration officials.
The chat included discussions of classified military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, reported that he was added to the Signal group, titled 'Houthi PC small group', on March 13, four days before U.S. airstrikes were carried out.
The group included high-ranking officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
The chat contained sensitive operational information, including strike timing, weapon deployment, and target details.
Goldberg confirmed that the information shared in the chat aligned with the actual strike timeline on March 15. He stated that his presence in the group went unnoticed by participants.
Some messages in the group were configured for auto-deletion, with timeframes ranging from one hour to one week, raising concerns about potential violations of federal record-keeping laws.
Defense Secretary Hegseth denied sharing classified war plans and accused Goldberg of misrepresentation.
Goldberg responded publicly, asserting that Hegseth manually typed operational data into the chat.
While Signal is widely used among U.S. government personnel for logistical coordination, it is not approved for classified communication.
Security experts noted that transferring sensitive information from encrypted government systems to an unclassified platform would require manual copying, suggesting possible breaches of national security protocols.
White House officials acknowledged the authenticity of the chat and stated that President Trump was unaware of the incident until informed by reporters.
Trump criticized Goldberg but did not comment on whether action would be taken against Waltz.
Internal sources suggest discussions are ongoing about whether Waltz will resign or be dismissed.
Some officials have described the incident as a serious lapse in protocol, while others have expressed concern over the political fallout.
Democratic lawmakers condemned the event, calling it a severe breach of security.
Republican reactions were mixed, with some defending the intentions behind the chat, while others labeled the situation as a major failure.
A Senate hearing is scheduled today with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who also participated in the Signal group.
The incident has sparked broader scrutiny of encrypted messaging use among senior U.S. officials for sensitive matters.
The chat included discussions of classified military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, reported that he was added to the Signal group, titled 'Houthi PC small group', on March 13, four days before U.S. airstrikes were carried out.
The group included high-ranking officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
The chat contained sensitive operational information, including strike timing, weapon deployment, and target details.
Goldberg confirmed that the information shared in the chat aligned with the actual strike timeline on March 15. He stated that his presence in the group went unnoticed by participants.
Some messages in the group were configured for auto-deletion, with timeframes ranging from one hour to one week, raising concerns about potential violations of federal record-keeping laws.
Defense Secretary Hegseth denied sharing classified war plans and accused Goldberg of misrepresentation.
Goldberg responded publicly, asserting that Hegseth manually typed operational data into the chat.
While Signal is widely used among U.S. government personnel for logistical coordination, it is not approved for classified communication.
Security experts noted that transferring sensitive information from encrypted government systems to an unclassified platform would require manual copying, suggesting possible breaches of national security protocols.
White House officials acknowledged the authenticity of the chat and stated that President Trump was unaware of the incident until informed by reporters.
Trump criticized Goldberg but did not comment on whether action would be taken against Waltz.
Internal sources suggest discussions are ongoing about whether Waltz will resign or be dismissed.
Some officials have described the incident as a serious lapse in protocol, while others have expressed concern over the political fallout.
Democratic lawmakers condemned the event, calling it a severe breach of security.
Republican reactions were mixed, with some defending the intentions behind the chat, while others labeled the situation as a major failure.
A Senate hearing is scheduled today with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who also participated in the Signal group.
The incident has sparked broader scrutiny of encrypted messaging use among senior U.S. officials for sensitive matters.