WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are calling for action after Trump administration officials inadvertently included a journalist on an unsecure group chat coordinating details for airstrikes in Yemen earlier this month.
The Trump administration launched airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels on March 15, which was reportedly coordinated in a Signal group chat including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, national security adviser Michael Waltz and Vice President JD Vance, among others. But the chat also included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist revealed on Monday — prompting outrage from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
“This administration is playing fast and loose with our nation’s most classified info, and it makes all Americans less safe,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a post on X.
Other Democrats decried the apparent mishap, calling for an investigation into the matter.
“This is an outrageous national security breach and heads should roll,” Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, told the Deseret News in a statement. “We need a full investigation and hearing into this on the House Armed Services Committee, ASAP.”
A handful of Republican lawmakers were also dismayed by the news, arguing the inadvertent inclusion could motivate other foreign countries to attempt to compromise classified communications.
“We’ve all sent a text to a wrong person, but the bigger error is they are using non-secure phones to discuss war plans. This can get our troops killed,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., also a member of the Armed Services Committee, told the Deseret News. “Secure phones are mandatory for these kinds of communications. Russia and China are definitely monitoring their unclassified phones hoping they share info like this.”
“Sounds like a huge screwup. I mean, is there any other way to describe it?” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said on Monday. “I would hope that the interagency would look at that. Somebody dropped the ball.”
Some Republicans have also requested additional training on “proper handling and management of classified information,” with Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., sending a letter to congressional leadership on Monday to offer those resources to lawmakers.
“Given the recent events involving executive branch officials’ spillage of national security information, it is imperative that all government personnel receive adequate training on the proper handling and management of classified material. Members of Congress are no exception,” Houlahan, a former U.S. Air Force officer, wrote in the letter obtained by the Deseret News. “Members should be equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle classified information appropriately to effectively carry out their duties and safeguard our country.”
Others are calling for additional safeguards to ensure those without proper security clearances do not have access to classified materials.
“Classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels — and certainly not to those without security clearances, including reporters. Period,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said in a post on X. “Safeguards must be put in place to ensure this never happens again.”
It’s not yet clear whether congressional leadership will take action on the matter or if any investigation is forthcoming.
When pressed about the incident on Monday, President Donald Trump told reporters he didn’t “know anything about it.”
“I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business,” he said. “You’re telling me about it for the first time.”
However, a spokesperson for the National Security Council told Axios in a statement that officials are “reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials,” National Security Council Spokesman Brian Hughes told the outlet in a statement. “The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our servicemembers or our national security.”