Trump Accidentally Sent Classified Yemen Strike Plans To Journalist

US Officials Stunned After Classified Military Plans Leaked on Signal

Top US officials have reacted with shock and outrage following revelations that senior members of former President Donald Trump’s Cabinet shared highly classified military plans over a group chat on Signal — and mistakenly included a journalist in the conversation.

According to The Atlantic, national security adviser Mike Waltz started a Signal group chat earlier this month with Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss planned military strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen. In a stunning blunder, Waltz accidentally added Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat — allowing him to witness sensitive details about US military operations unfold in real-time.

"Dear Sweet Baby Jesus" – Officials Stunned by Leak

The messages reportedly included discussions about strike timing, target details, and weapon deployment — all of which would be classified at the highest levels. Goldberg remained in the chat as the officials discussed the operation and even congratulated each other afterward on a successful mission before he quietly removed himself from the thread.

“Dear Sweet Baby Jesus,” one former senior US official said, reacting to the reporting.

The Trump administration confirmed the authenticity of the messages but offered no explanation for why top officials were discussing military operations over an unsecured, nongovernment platform.

"They Broke Every Procedure Known to Man"

Current and former national security officials expressed disbelief that such sensitive information was shared on an unclassified platform. A former senior intelligence official called it a "total breakdown in security" and said the officials "broke every procedure known to man" regarding the handling of classified material.

“If any lower-level employee had done this, they would have been fired immediately and possibly prosecuted,” one official said.

Immediate Fallout Inside the White House

As news of the breach spread, senior officials scrambled to review the use of Signal for government communication. “Everyone is on Signal, all day and night,” one White House official admitted. “That may well change.”

Defense Secretary Hegseth, who allegedly shared the most sensitive details, denied that war plans were discussed over text. “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he told reporters after landing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. Hegseth also attacked Goldberg, calling him “deceitful and highly discredited.”

However, multiple officials noted that the classified nature of the information shared — including operational details and intelligence data — made it clear that the messages crossed a dangerous line.

Trump Downplays Incident, Blames Goldberg

When asked about the situation, Trump distanced himself, claiming ignorance. “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. It’s a magazine that’s going out of business,” he said.

But insiders say Trump was furious when briefed on the incident — not about the security breach itself, but because Goldberg was the one who witnessed it. “You couldn’t have picked a worse person than Goldberg to add to the chat,” one Trump insider said.

Potential Legal Consequences?

The breach could violate federal laws, including the Espionage Act, which criminalizes the mishandling of national defense information. Under normal circumstances, the Justice Department would likely launch an investigation — but since the officials involved are among the highest-ranking members of the Trump administration, an inquiry seems unlikely.

A former senior defense official said that transferring classified information to an unclassified platform like Signal would have required manual action — suggesting that someone deliberately copied or transcribed the information. “You can’t just forward a classified email to Signal,” the official said.

Political Blowback Begins

Democrats on Capitol Hill quickly condemned the breach. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called it a "brazen violation" of national security protocols.

“If true, these actions are a calamitous risk to American lives and a clear violation of national security laws,” Himes said.

Republicans were divided. Sen. John Cornyn called it a “huge screw-up,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson downplayed the incident, insisting that “top-level officials were doing their job.”

"Somebody Needs to Get Fired"

Former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta was blunt in his assessment: “Somebody needs to get fired. If it had been someone other than Goldberg, they could have immediately warned the Houthis and caused US casualties.”

Despite the fallout, Trump has shown no signs of firing anyone involved — though sources say the administration is reviewing internal communication protocols to prevent similar incidents.

For now, the Signal scandal remains an embarrassing and potentially dangerous lapse in US national security — one that could have lasting political and diplomatic consequences.