Trump Administration Under Fire As Leaked War Plans Spark Outrage

The Trump administration is facing intense scrutiny following the leak of US military plans concerning airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. The classified information was inadvertently exposed after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to a private Signal chat involving top national security officials. Goldberg revealed the details in an article on Monday, writing, “U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.”

The leaked chat reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. When questioned about the situation during a visit to Hawaii, Hegseth dismissed concerns, stating, “Nobody was texting war plans,” while also criticizing Goldberg’s report.

Despite this denial, National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes confirmed that the message “appears to be authentic” and assured that an internal review is underway. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration, reiterating President Donald Trump’s stance that the attacks on the Houthis were “highly successful and effective.” She further emphasized Trump’s continued confidence in his national security team.

House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to growing concerns by stating that the administration would investigate how an unauthorized phone number was added to the discussion. “They are going to track that down and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he assured.

Prominent Democratic figures, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have condemned the security lapse. Clinton, in a post on X, shared a preview of the article with the caption, “You have got to be kidding me.” Schumer has called for a full investigation, describing the incident as “one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence.” Senator Mark Warner of the Senate Intelligence Committee also accused the Trump administration of “playing fast and loose with our nation’s most classified info,” warning that such carelessness “makes all Americans less safe.”

As backlash intensifies, pressure is mounting on the administration to address the breach and prevent similar incidents in the future.