Former national security officials have expressed shock following reports that senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration shared classified details of planned US military strikes in Yemen through the encrypted messaging app Signal—accidentally adding a journalist to the discussion.
According to The Atlantic, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz initiated a Signal group chat that included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The group was discussing airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen when Waltz mistakenly added Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who had access to sensitive military details before realizing the error and removing himself from the chat.
The leaked messages reportedly included specifics on strike timing, target locations, and weapons deployment. Hegseth allegedly shared “operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen,” while Ratcliffe provided “information that might be interpreted as related to actual and current intelligence operations.”
Former Officials Condemn Security Breach
The incident has sparked severe criticism from intelligence and military experts. A former senior US official reacted with disbelief, saying, “Dear Sweet Baby Jesus.” Another official simply responded, “No,” when asked if such a breach had ever occurred in the Biden administration.
Security analysts emphasized that using Signal for discussions of this nature violated strict protocols for handling classified information. “They broke every procedure known to man about protecting operational material before a military strike,” a former intelligence official stated.
While Signal is known for strong encryption, it is not authorized for government use in transmitting classified data. Intelligence agencies have warned that foreign adversaries, including Russian-linked hackers, have targeted Signal accounts. “It should never be used for classified or operational data, let alone policy discussions at a top government level,” a Western intelligence official told CNN.
Potential Espionage Act Violation?
Some experts suggest the mishandling of classified information could be a violation of the Espionage Act. However, no investigation is expected since those involved—Hegseth, Vance, and Rubio—would have to initiate it. A former Justice Department official noted, “If anyone else did it, no question it would be investigated.”
Trump Distances Himself
When asked about the incident, Trump dismissed concerns. “I don’t know anything about it,” he told reporters. “It couldn’t have been very effective because the attack was very effective.”
Manual Transfer of Classified Data Raises Questions
Experts pointed out that classified information cannot be transferred to an unclassified system like Signal without deliberate action. A former senior defense official explained, “You can’t forward a classified email to an unclassified system. You would either have to print it out or type it up while looking at both screens. So he had to have done it, or somebody would’ve had to have done it for him.”
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta strongly criticized the mishap. “Somebody needs to get fired,” he said. Panetta warned that if a hostile actor had been added to the chat instead of a journalist, they could have tipped off the Houthis, leading to retaliatory attacks on US forces.
Administration’s Response
Brian Hughes, National Security Council spokesperson, downplayed security concerns, calling the leak an “inadvertent” mistake. He defended the officials, stating that their messages demonstrated “deep and thoughtful policy coordination” and that “the ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
However, leaked messages revealed internal disagreements about the strikes. Vice President Vance reportedly expressed concern about the potential consequences, warning of “a moderate to severe spike in oil prices.” He suggested delaying the strikes by a month for better strategic messaging.
Trump administration officials have not directly addressed the security concerns but have instead focused on defending Vance’s remarks. His communications director, William Martin, stated, “The Vice President’s first priority is always making sure that the President’s advisers are adequately briefing him on the substance of their internal deliberations.”
Democratic Lawmakers Call for Investigation
Democratic leaders, including House Intelligence Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Himes, have condemned the breach. “I am horrified by reports that our most senior national security officials, including the heads of multiple agencies, shared sensitive and almost certainly classified information via a commercial messaging application,” Himes said.
He warned that if true, the incident would be “a brazen violation of laws and regulations that exist to protect national security, including the safety of Americans serving in harm’s way.”
The controversy has also reignited Republican criticism of private communications in government. In 2016, Rubio attacked Hillary Clinton for using a private email server, stating, “Hillary Clinton put some of the highest, most sensitive intelligence information on her private server because maybe she thinks she’s above the law. This is unacceptable. This is a disqualifier.”
The White House has yet to comment on whether any disciplinary action will be taken.