Washington — Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced on Wednesday that the committee is requesting an expedited investigation by the inspector general regarding the leak of a sensitive Signal group chat concerning operations in Yemen, which has taken Washington by surprise in recent days.
This week, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, disclosed that he was included in the group on the encrypted messaging app, where he witnessed high-ranking Trump officials deliberating on sensitive plans to strike targets in Yemen. Following claims from top administration officials on Tuesday that “no war plans” were discussed, The Atlantic released screenshots the next day, revealing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided operational details regarding the timing of the strikes, as well as the weapons and aircraft involved.
In remarks to reporters at the Capitol following the latest disclosure, Wicker outlined the committee’s next steps. He indicated that he and ranking member Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, would be sending a letter to the administration urging an expedited investigation by the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General and requesting the findings be shared with the committee. The chairman also mentioned that another letter would be sent to seek “to get ground truth,” emphasizing the committee’s desire to determine the accuracy of the published transcripts.
Wicker further remarked that the information made public “seems to be of such a sensitive nature that, based on my understanding, I would have expected it to be classified.” Intelligence officials have repeatedly asserted in testimony on Wednesday that no classified information was contained in the chats, a claim met with considerable skepticism from both Democrats and former officials, especially given the sensitive nature of the information disclosed by Hegseth.
Shortly after assuming office, the Trump administration removed the inspector general at the Defense Department, part of a broader initiative to purge internal watchdogs across various government agencies. Currently, the Pentagon’s IG office is functioning under the acting leadership of Steven Stebbins, who previously served as the principal deputy inspector general. When asked about his confidence that the Pentagon would honor his request for an inspector general inquiry given the current vacancy, Wicker expressed his trust in their compliance.
Wicker and Reed are aiming to secure a classified briefing for the Armed Services Committee “relatively soon” from a senior administration official.
“The chair and the ranking member are collaborating on a bipartisan basis, as we have always strived to do,” Wicker stated.
The Mississippi Republican praised the mission that is at the center of the group chat, stating, “the strike on the Houthis was an immensely successful operation, which I fully supported.” He lamented that this security issue distracts the public and the committee from recognizing an important international success.
Earlier that day, Wicker indicated that he did not believe Hegseth should resign. When later asked about any potential repercussions, Wicker mentioned he was “glad that, in this instance, no significant damage occurred.”
“The truth is that the plans for the strike, including timing and locations, were not disclosed to the enemy, and it resulted in a very successful operation,” Wicker commented. “If mistakes were made early in this administration, I hope they can be rectified. … If errors occurred, we are all human, and they should be recognized.”
