President Trump faced questions about a leaked military communication mishap when an Atlantic editor was accidentally added to a high-level chat. And he just told us who was responsible.
At a glance:
• Trump officials accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat discussing a military operation in Yemen
• President Trump downplayed the incident, stating he didn’t know about it and wasn’t “a big fan of The Atlantic”
• The White House maintained no classified information was compromised despite Democrat outrage and calls for resignations
• National Security Advisor Michael Waltz was defended by Trump, who suggested it was merely a staff error
• Signal is an encrypted messaging app increasingly used by government officials for sensitive communications
Presidential Defense Amid Security Breach Concerns
President Donald Trump addressed reporters regarding the security incident involving his senior team’s communication about a potential Yemen operation. When questioned about the situation, Trump responded: “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business. I think it’s not much of a magazine. But I know nothing about it … You’re telling me about it for the first time.”
The mishap occurred when Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief, was inadvertently added to an encrypted Signal chat where Trump administration officials were discussing military operations. Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, confirmed the authenticity of the message chain to Goldberg and said the administration was “reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
The White House has maintained a defensive posture, insisting that no classified information was shared during the digital mishap. Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, acknowledged the error but expressed relief about its limited impact, stating: “We dodged a bullet.”
Democrats Demand Accountability While Republicans Stand Firm
Democratic lawmakers have expressed outrage over the incident, with Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner describing it as “sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior.” During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, two top intelligence officials from the Trump administration, Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe, denied sharing classified information in the encrypted group chat.
Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell escalated the criticism, telling MSNBC: “Pete Hegseth thinks that Pete Hegseth should be fired. If you listen to what he has said over the years on his weekend shows, he has called out people for instances of national security, that were not even close to what he did as far as his breach, for them to be gone. So it’s actually remarkable to me that as we talk right now Pete Hegseth has not resigned.”
Despite the Democratic outcry, Republicans have largely stood by the administration officials involved in the incident. Senator Graham has called for a bipartisan review but continues to support National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, whom Trump has publicly defended.
The incident has put FBI Director Kash Patel in a difficult position, as he has not confirmed whether an investigation into the matter is underway. The White House has criticized Democrats and the media for their reaction, emphasizing that the Yemen attack was ultimately successful despite the communication mishap.
