Washington — Following a report by the editor of The Atlantic, several lawmakers expressed their outrage on Monday after he revealed that he was unknowingly included in a group chat with senior Trump administration officials discussing the United States’ sensitive military strategies in Yemen.
Congress members from both parties condemned the security lapse, but Democrats were particularly vocal about the need for accountability, with many calling for an immediate inquiry.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the leading Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, characterized the breach as “one of the most severe failures of operational security and common sense” he has ever encountered.
“Military actions must be conducted with the highest level of discretion, using approved, secure communication channels, as American lives are at stake. The negligence displayed by President Trump’s cabinet is both striking and perilous. I will be seeking immediate answers from the Administration,” Reed’s statement detailed.
Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chair of the Armed Services Committee, acknowledged the issue, stating, “It’s certainly a concern, and it seems that errors were made.”
“Classified briefings regarding this matter are likely to occur soon,” Wicker noted, adding that his committee will “definitely” investigate.
In an article published on Monday, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, detailed how he was accidentally added to a group chat containing national security adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and others on the secure messaging application Signal earlier this month. Hegseth reportedly outlined plans to target Houthi locations in Yemen shortly before the strikes were executed, with further discussions from other officials, according to Goldberg.
The Atlantic indicated that it refrained from publishing all messages due to the sensitivity of some details.
The National Security Council confirmed to CBS News that the group chat reported by Goldberg “seems to be credible.”
“At this moment, the reported message thread appears to be genuine, and we are investigating how an inadvertent number was added to the conversation,” a spokesperson from the National Security Council stated. “The thread reflects the significant and thoughtful policy coordination among senior officials. The continued success of operations against the Houthis shows that our service members and national security were not compromised.”
Hegseth responded on Monday evening that “nobody was texting war plans,” labeling Goldberg as “a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist” who “spreads hoaxes.”
When asked about the incident, President Trump remarked, “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. It’s going out of business. Not much of a magazine.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this, stating, “President Trump continues to have full confidence in his national security team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said on the Senate floor, “This fiasco necessitates a comprehensive investigation into how it occurred, the damage it caused, and how we can prevent it in the future. If our military secrets are being shared over unsecured text chains, we need to know immediately and put a stop to it.”
He added, “When Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate as a nominee, Democrats warned that something like this could happen. Clearly, they are not fit for the position. We cautioned that confirming them was risky due to their reckless behavior—unfortunately, we were right.”
Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who is a member of both the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, criticized the incident as “a dangerous level of incompetence” and “an unjustifiable failure.” Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, called it “a shocking breach” and called for a “prompt and thorough investigation” into the situation.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated to CBS News that there should “absolutely” be a congressional probe “to understand what happened, why it occurred, and how we can prevent such a breach of national security from happening again.”
“This is reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous,” the New York Democrat declared. “Who are some of these individuals that Donald Trump has appointed to the most sensitive national security roles in America? We were told that Donald Trump would hire the very best. It’s all a façade.”
Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, raised concerns about whether officials had breached the Espionage Act.
Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Mike Lawler of New York criticized the use of an encrypted messaging application to discuss military plans.
“This could endanger our troops. Secure phones are essential for these types of communications. Russia and China are certainly monitoring their unclassified phones, hoping they share information like this,” Bacon said.
“Classified information should never be transmitted over unsecured channels — especially not to individuals without security clearances, including journalists. Period,” Lawler added. “We must implement safeguards to ensure this never happens again.”
On the other hand, House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the actions taken, claiming the reports indicated “top officials are performing their duties effectively and executing plans with precision.”
“That mission was a success. No one was put at risk because of it. We’re thankful for that, but I’m sure they will ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” the Louisiana Republican told reporters.
Johnson also stated that he didn’t believe Waltz, who reportedly initiated the group chat and included the journalist, should face any repercussions.
