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The Secret Signal Chat: How Top Trump Officials Leaked Classified Yemen Airstrike Plans
A secret chat group between senior Trump administration officials has leaked classified information about planned US airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, raising serious concerns about the security of sensitive information shared by top government officials.
Classified information about planned US airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen was leaked through a secret Signal chat group. Senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, were involved in the leak. The group's conversations were shared with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who was invited to join the chat by National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. The leak has raised concerns about operational security and potential vulnerabilities in federal records-keeping laws. An investigation is underway by Senator Adam Schiff, who is calling for answers about ongoing Signal chats with sensitive information within the Pentagon.
The recent leak of classified information about planned US airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen has sent shockwaves through the national security community. The bombshell revelation came when it was revealed that senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, had been discussing the operation in a secret Signal chat group.
According to reports, the group's conversations were leaked to a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief at The Atlantic, who was invited to join the chat by National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. The chat, which was named "Houthi PC small group," contained highly classified information about the planned airstrikes, including details of an attack scheduled for March 15 and the types of weapons that would be used.
The leak has raised serious concerns about the security of sensitive information shared by top government officials. According to Mick Ryan, a retired Australian Army Major General, "By using Signal for such a sensitive issue, the participants demonstrate a cavalier attitude to operational security." He added, "For a Secretary of Defense who allegedly values a war-fighting ethos, this shortfall in security is appalling."
The use of Signal for sensitive information sharing has also raised questions about why the group's members chose to use the app instead of more secure communication channels. The Register understands that chat tools used by government agencies, including the NSA, include features that prevent journalists from participating in group chats.
Furthermore, the incident has highlighted a potential vulnerability in federal records-keeping laws. The group's members had set at least some of their messages to auto-delete, which may be a violation of these laws.
The incident has sparked an immediate investigation by Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), who has called for answers about how many Signal chats with sensitive information are ongoing within the Pentagon right now. "How many Signal chats with sensitive information about military operations are ongoing within the Pentagon right now? Where else are war plans being shared with such abject disregard for our national security?" he asked.
The leak also comes as a surprise to President Trump, who denied any knowledge of the affair when questioned at a press conference on Monday. "I don't know anything about it," he said. "I'm not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it's a magazine that's going out of business. But I know nothing about it."
The incident has also sparked a response from Signal co-founder Moxie Marlinspike, who tweeted, "There are so many great reasons to be on Signal... including the opportunity for the vice president of the United States of America to randomly add you to a group chat for coordination of sensitive military operations. Don't sleep on this opportunity..."
In light of this incident, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to ensure greater security and transparency in its communication channels.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Secret-Signal-Chat-How-Top-Trump-Officials-Leaked-Classified-Yemen-Airstrike-Plans-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/03/24/trump_signal_leaks_houthi/
Published: Mon Mar 24 20:29:22 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M