The Atlantic magazine has published a revealing exposé detailing how top Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed U.S. military airstrikes in a Signal chat group—unaware that a journalist had been mistakenly included in the conversation.
The report, written by Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, includes screenshots of texts from the “Houthi PC Small Group,” which discussed drone targets, sequencing of attacks, and weaponry. The chat took place on March 15, just before the U.S. launched airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthi sites.
Leaked Messages Detail Military Operations
Goldberg and Atlantic reporter Shane Harris initially withheld the information due to its sensitive nature. However, after Trump officials dismissed concerns and denied any classified details were shared, the magazine decided to publish the messages, allowing the public to “reach their own conclusions.”
Hegseth’s texts provided real-time updates on the attack timeline:
- 11:44 AM: “TIME NOW: Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.”
- 12:15 PM: “F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package).”
- 1:45 PM: “Trigger-Based F-18 1st Strike Window Starts.”
- 2:10 PM: “More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package).”
- 2:15 PM: “Strike Drones on Target (FIRST BOMBS WILL DROP, pending earlier targets).”
- 3:36 PM: “F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”
- Final Note: “Godspeed to our Warriors.”
Reactions and Fallout
The report shows Vice President JD Vance texting, “I will say a prayer for victory,” while National Security Adviser Mike Waltz updated the group on real-time target conditions:
“VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID. Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job.” Waltz later added, “The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.”
Hegseth later reassured the group: “CENTCOM was/is on point. Great job all. More strikes ongoing for hours tonight.”
Trump Administration Dismisses Concerns
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on The Atlantic’s characterization of the leak, arguing that “these were NOT ‘war plans’” and dismissing the story as “sensationalist spin.”
However, the revelations have sparked concerns over the administration’s use of a commercial app like Signal for high-level military discussions. Waltz took responsibility for adding Goldberg to the group chat, calling it “embarrassing” and vowing to investigate how it happened.
Despite the administration’s efforts to downplay the breach, the incident has raised serious questions about operational security and the handling of sensitive military communications.
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