Top Trump officials mistakenly share Yemen war plans with journalist before attack
US President Donald Trump’s top national security officials, including his Defence Secretary, mistakenly shared war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen in a group chat on a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, the White House said on Monday after the magazine disclosed the incident.
According to The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg, the plan, which included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing, was shared in the group chat two hours before the US launched an attack in Yemen on March 15.
“The world found out shortly before 2 pm Eastern Time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen. However, I knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defence, had texted me the war plan at 11.44 am. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing,” the first-hand report by the magazine said.
The US National Security Council spokesperson, Brian Hughes, acknowledged the misstep and said the chat group appeared to be authentic.
Accounts belong to Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior National Security Council officials were also part of the chat group, according to Goldberg.
“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we 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. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our service members or our national security,” the National Security Council spokesperson’s statement said.
Democratic lawmakers swiftly blasted the misstep saying it was a breach of U.S. national security and a violation of law that must be investigated by Congress.
President Trump told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, 2.5 hours after it was reported.
It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. The US has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis since the militant group began targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.
Tune In
