Washington D.C. – Senior members of the Trump administration are under scrutiny following a serious security breach involving discussions of secret military plans for recent US attacks on the Houthi armed group in Yemen. Key figures in Trump’s cabinet, including Vice-President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, accidentally used the commercial chat app Signal to discuss critical plans, even including a prominent journalist in the group.
The breach was revealed in an article published by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of the Atlantic magazine. Goldberg discovered that he had been added to a Signal chat titled “Houthi PC Small Group,” alongside 18 other members that included Trump cabinet members. In the chat, sensitive materials were shared, including the identity of a senior CIA officer and operational details.
While the National Security Council confirmed the authenticity of the message chain, stating it was inadvertent, the incident has raised questions about the Trump administration’s handling of classified information. The discussions in the chat included comments from Vance expressing hesitancy about attacking Yemen and conversations about what price other countries should pay for US intervention in a key global shipping route.
Experts in security and intelligence have described the breach as unprecedented, both for using a commercial chat service and for involving a journalist. While Signal is considered secure, the vulnerability of phones on which it is installed raises concerns about the potential for data breaches.
Members of Congress have called for a hearing on the security breach, with Democratic Representative Pat Ryan describing the situation as “Fubar.” The incident has generated significant criticism, with national security experts noting the implications for US national security and international relationships.
As the Trump administration faces scrutiny over the security breach, questions remain about the handling of classified information and the potential impact on ongoing military operations. The involvement of a journalist in the chat and the inadvertent sharing of sensitive details have underscored the importance of strict protocols for communication within the government.