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One-sentence summary: A Signal group chat used by senior Trump administration officials revealed specific operational details of a U.S. military strike on Yemen, raising serious national security concerns and prompting The Atlantic to publish the full message thread after denials from administration officials.
The Atlantic has published the contents of a Signal group chat among high-ranking Trump administration officials after confirming that sensitive military information was shared ahead of a U.S. airstrike in Yemen. The group, called “Houthi PC small group,” included the secretary of defense, CIA and intelligence directors, the national security adviser, and Vice President J.D. Vance, among others. Unintentionally, journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was added to the group by National Security Adviser Michael Waltz.
Despite official denials-including from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and President Donald Trump-that no classified information was shared, the chat logs reveal detailed operational data. This includes launch times of U.S. fighter jets, drone strike windows, and confirmation of real-time target identification. Hegseth’s messages, for instance, gave precise times for airstrikes, such as the 12:15 ET launch of F-18s and the 1:45 ET drone strike, more than an hour before the operations occurred. The content, though claimed to be unclassified, involved intelligence assessments and real-time tracking of military targets.
The Atlantic had originally withheld publishing the full texts due to potential security risks. However, after repeated dismissals from Trump officials and in the interest of public accountability, they released the messages-redacting only the name of a CIA officer per request. The article underscores the risk of using a nonsecure platform like Signal for high-level national security discussions, especially with the accidental inclusion of an outsider. Experts warn that if adversaries had intercepted this information, the safety of American military personnel could have been severely compromised.
In one exchange, Waltz confirmed the death of a primary target-believed to be a top missile commander-after a building collapse. Vance responded approvingly, while Ratcliffe described it as “a good start.” The Houthi health ministry reported 53 deaths from the strike, though this has not been independently verified. The motives behind inviting a journalist to the chat remain unclear, with Waltz claiming to be investigating the error.
The incident has ignited debate over the Trump administration’s handling of sensitive information and whether the shared content qualifies as classified, given its potentially grave implications for operational security.
Goldberg, Jeffrey, and Shane Harris. “Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal.” The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176.
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Key takeaways:
- Trump officials used Signal to discuss precise military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
- Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to the chat and received sensitive information in real time.
- Officials deny any classified information was shared, but texts included detailed operational timing and target info.
- Experts say using a nonsecure messaging platform for such discussions poses a serious security risk.
- The Atlantic published the messages after officials denied wrongdoing and declined to specify what was sensitive.
- The text thread revealed U.S. personnel had real-time positive identification of targets, including high-value individuals.
Most important quotations:
- “Nobody was texting war plans. And that’s all I have to say about that.” – Pete Hegseth
- “There was no classified material that was shared in that Signal group.” – Tulsi Gabbard
- “TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.” – Pete Hegseth
- “The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.” – Michael Waltz
- “A good start.” – John Ratcliffe
- “Godspeed to our Warriors.” – Pete Hegseth
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