Trump’s Minister Leaked Attack Plan on Houthis: Shared in a Secret Chat Group Two Hours Before the Strike; A Journalist Was Also Involved
On March 15, U.S. President Donald Trump’s minister, Pete Hegseth, leaked America’s plan to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen. Hegseth shared the plan in a secret group chat on the Signal app. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, was also part of this group. The White House provided this information on Monday.
Goldberg revealed that he was mistakenly added to the group chat. The group was created on the secure messaging app Signal by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. Other members included U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Goldberg wrote that at 11:44 AM on March 15, Hegseth shared details about the planned attack on Yemen. The information included target locations, weapons to be used, and the exact timing of the strike.
Trump Responds: “I Have No Knowledge of This”
When asked about the report, President Donald Trump stated that he had no knowledge of it. According to The New York Times, the Department of Defense (Pentagon) refused to comment and referred the matter to the National Security Council (NSC).
NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes stated that an investigation is underway to determine how an incorrect number was added to the group. The State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, declined to comment.
Former national security officials told The New York Times that if private mobile phones were used in this group chat, it could be a more serious issue, as China continuously attempts to hack American cyber networks.
The U.S. Is Continuously Attacking the Houthis
The U.S. has been conducting strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen for several days. Since the Israel-Hamas war, Houthi rebels have launched missile and drone attacks on American and European ships in the Red Sea. The U.S. and the U.K. have repeatedly warned the Houthis, but the attacks have continued.
As a result, since January 2024, the U.S. and the U.K. have launched airstrikes on Houthi targets. Yemen has been facing a civil war since 2015, with Houthi rebels fighting against the Saudi-backed government. The U.S. and Western nations support Saudi Arabia, while Iran backs the Houthi rebels.
Waltz, Who Added the Journalist to the Group, Was a Military Colonel
U.S. NSA Mike Waltz, who mistakenly added The Atlantic’s editor to the secret group, was a colonel in the military. In addition to being a politician, he is also a businessman and author. Trump appointed him as America’s 25th National Security Advisor.
Waltz graduated with honors in International Studies from the Virginia Military Institute. During his 27-year military career, he participated in numerous military operations in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa.
His father and grandfather both served as chiefs in the U.S. Navy. Waltz also served as a defense policy director at the Pentagon’s Department of Defense. He worked as a counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney in the George W. Bush administration
