President Donald Trump on Monday said he was unaware of a stunning report that a journalist was accidentally included in a Signal group chat where top Trump administration officials discussed the timing and targets of a military strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“I don’t know anything about it,” Trump said during a White House event with Louisiana officials when asked about the report. “I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me, it’s a magazine that is going out of business.”
The comment came just hours after Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a bombshell article describing how he was inadvertently added to a secure messaging thread labeled “Houthi PC small group”—presumably referring to a Principals Committee, which typically includes senior defense and intelligence officials.
READ: Andy McCarthy Says Congress Should Give Trump Authority Needed To Boot Venezuelan Gang
When pressed by a reporter about the contents of the thread, Trump appeared caught off guard.
“You’re saying that they had what?” he asked, before being told that the thread included planning for an attack on the Houthis.
“Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” he added.
The National Security Council (NSC) later confirmed to The New York Post that the messages “appear to be authentic” and that officials were reviewing how Goldberg’s number was added to the encrypted chat.
According to Goldberg, the Signal group included, among others:
- Vice President JD Vance
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
- National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- DNI Tulsi Gabbard
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe
Goldberg said he was initially suspicious the chat was part of a disinformation ploy—until details posted by officials, including a 1:45 p.m. ET airstrike time on March 15, aligned precisely with real-time news of explosions in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.
READ: Top Trump Officials Accidentally Shared Yemen Strike Plans With Journalist In Signal Chat
The incident has sparked widespread concern on Capitol Hill. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the episode “one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen.”
“Military operations need to be handled with utmost discretion… The carelessness shown by President Trump’s cabinet is stunning and dangerous,” Reed said in a statement.
Despite the breach, the NSC defended the officials’ coordination, saying it reflected thoughtful decision-making and that no national security risks had materialized.
“The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our service members or our national security,” the NSC said while launching a review of the group’s security protocols.
READ: Air Force Awards Boeing Contract For F-47 Fighter Jet: “World’s Most Advanced Warplane”
On March 15, the U.S. military launched coordinated strikes on Iran-backed Houthi militants, who have been targeting shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, citing support for Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. The Trump administration has designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization and blamed Iran directly for their operations.
In a Truth Social post shortly after the strikes, Trump declared,
“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”
READ: Massive ICE Operation Nets 370 Illegal Aliens In Massachusetts: Targeting Gangs And Criminals
The incident has raised serious questions about the administration’s reliance on third-party encrypted platforms like Signal for highly sensitive national security discussions, as well as internal vetting and communications discipline.
As the NSC investigates and lawmakers prepare for potential hearings, the administration has not yet commented on whether any officials will face consequences.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
