The Atlantic has published the full text of a Signal group chat among senior Trump administration national security officials, revealing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared precise details of military operations against Yemen’s Houthis.
The chat logs indicate that Hegseth provided exact times of warplane launches, strike packages, and targets before the aircraft were airborne.
The release follows intense scrutiny over how information that officials say should have been classified ended up in an unclassified group chat, which included The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Hegseth, currently traveling in the Indo-Pacific, has dismissed questions about the controversy, insisting he did not disclose war plans.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe told the Senate Intelligence Committee that it was Hegseth’s decision to determine whether the information was classified.
Vice President JD Vance and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have both lashed out at the publication, once again calling the claims a ‘hoax’.
Leavitt dismissed the incident as a “hoax” perpetrated by a known Trump critic, asserting that the messages did not contain classified “war plans.”
Goldberg reportedly sought the White House’s stance before publishing the chat logs and was told they would prefer he did not release them.
The leak has sparked sharp reactions. Senator Jon Ossoff called it an “embarrassment,” arguing that sensitive military details should not be casually discussed in a group chat.
Democratic lawmakers have criticised the administration for its handling of classified information, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted on social media,
“You have got to be kidding me,” referencing Trump’s past attacks on her email use.
Trump has downplayed the incident, describing it as “the only glitch in two months” and stating it was “not a serious one.”
He also defended National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who reportedly added Goldberg to the chat by mistake. Waltz acknowledged the error on Fox News, saying, “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward,” and took full responsibility.
Despite Democratic criticism, administration officials insist no classified information was shared. Ratcliffe and Gabbard testified that the messages did not include classified material, though The Atlantic reported they contained details on weapons, targets, and timing.
When pressed on whether such information should have been classified, Gabbard deferred to the Defense Secretary. – Times of India.
