Trump said that the inclusion of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of "The Atlantic Monthly", had "no impact at all" on the planning of the operation. He also called the matter "the only glitch in two months, and the result was not serious."
The Trump administration has sought to downplay the shocking leaks, which have sparked intense criticism in Washington of the Trump team's handling of sensitive information. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that "no 'war plan' was discussed" and "no classified material was sent to the group."
MikeWaltz
Goldberg reviewed the matter in an article published on Monday. Members of this group, which also includes U.S. Vice President Vance, Defense Secretary Hegseth and others, discussed detailed plans to carry out strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Goldberg did not disclose the actual plan in the article, but wrote that at one point Hegseth shared "operational details of the upcoming attack on Yemen," including information on targets and weapons specifications. The Trump team shared its plans on the encrypted messaging app Signal, which is known for its high security but has not yet been authorized by the U.S. government as a platform for disseminating classified information.
At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said intelligence officials' use of Signal was permitted. He and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who were also members of the group chat, defended their participation and reiterated that no classified information was shared.
Gabbard said the National Security Council was "evaluating all aspects of how this occurred, including how the reporter was inadvertently added to the group chat and what occurred throughout the process."
Asked how Goldberg was added to the group, Trump suggested a Waltz aide was responsible.
"That person on the phone was one of Michael's people. A staffer had his number," Trump said.
At the Senate Intelligence Committee's previously scheduled hearing on global security threats, Democrats did not buy it. They believed that this incident seriously undermined national security. Some vowed to get the full text of the conversation.
"If it were a military officer or an intelligence officer engaging in this kind of behavior, they would be fired," said Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the committee. "This is yet another example of sloppiness, carelessness and incompetence, especially in the treatment of confidential information. This is not an accident, nor is this the first time something has gone wrong."
Leavitt said earlier Tuesday that "the White House Counsel's Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump's senior officials to communicate as safely and effectively as possible."