On Wednesday, The Atlantic shared screenshots and a more extensive text exchange from the Signal group chat that accidentally included a journalist. This came after the White House and senior officials in the administration claimed that no “war plans” were discussed within the chat.
The screenshots reveal that details regarding the timing and targets of the attack on Houthis in Yemen earlier this month were shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and discussed among the participants. The White House has maintained — and Cabinet officials testified on Tuesday — that the information in the group chat was not classified, despite Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg receiving tactical information prior to the strike.
At 11:44 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 15, Hegseth posted in the chat, in all caps, as seen in the screenshots provided by The Atlantic: “TEAM UPDATE: TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.” The following message contained details about the timing of the anticipated strikes and the types of weapons to be deployed.
“This Signal message indicates that the U.S. Secretary of Defense sent a text to a group that included a number belonging to someone unknown to him—Goldberg’s cellphone—at 11:44 a.m.,” Goldberg and Shane Harris wrote in The Atlantic. “This was 31 minutes before the first U.S. warplanes took off and two hours and one minute prior to when a key target, the Houthi ‘Target Terrorist,’ was expected to be eliminated by these American aircraft.”
“Had this text been received by an individual hostile to American interests—or even someone indiscreet with access to social media—the Houthis would have had time to prepare for a surprise attack intended on their strongholds,” Goldberg and Harris added. “The implications for American pilots could have been disastrous.”
The White House has not disputed the authenticity of the messages but has maintained its stance regarding the nature of the information and continued to criticize Goldberg.
“The Atlantic has acknowledged that these were NOT ‘war plans,'” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X Wednesday morning. “This entire narrative is yet another hoax crafted by a Trump adversary known for his sensationalist rhetoric.”
“No locations,” national security adviser Mike Waltz commented on X Wednesday morning. “No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS. Foreign partners had already been briefed that strikes were imminent. BOTTOM LINE: President Trump is safeguarding America and our interests.”
He claimed that the sources of the intelligence were not disclosed but did not address the timing or weaponry used in the strikes.
Vice President JD Vance, who appeared to be part of the group chat, stated on social media that Goldberg “oversold what he had” and mentioned that the classified information purportedly shared by CIA Director John Ratcliffe was merely “the name of his chief of staff.”
During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Trump administration intelligence officials testified that the information conveyed in the chat was not classified. Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, both part of the Houthi chat group, were questioned by Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico about whether the Signal conversation included details about “weapons packages, targets, or timing.” Ratcliffe responded, “Not that I’m aware of,” and Gabbard answered, “Same answer, and I defer to the Department of Defense regarding that question.” Both officials indicated they had no knowledge of the chat containing operational specifics related to the Yemeni strike.
The Atlantic reported that it had inquired with Trump administration officials and the White House about any objections to publishing the messages, given their denials regarding classified information or “war plans.” Most did not respond, and Leavitt informed The Atlantic that the administration opposed the release, while asserting that there was “no classified information transmitted in the group chat.”
