House Speaker Mike Johnson described the accidental inclusion of a journalist in a group chat involving top Trump administration officials discussing military strikes against Yemen's Houthis as a "serious" mistake, but defended the administration's response.
Johnson made the comments on Tuesday during a press conference with Republican leadership after returning to Capitol Hill from a period of work in their districts.
"Obviously that was a mistake, and a serious one," explained Johnson adding that "the White House clarified there were no war plans discussed" and "there was no classified material sent on that thread." Johnson then went on to praise the Administration's handling of the situation:
"I just want to say that thanks to President Trump and his strong leadership and all the leaders on that group chat, who are extraordinary people, I know them all personally. They're patriots, they're doing a great job for the country. And that was a successful mission. We're taking out Houthi terrorists. That's what the American people expect the Administration to do, to restore peace through strength and to act decisively"
The House Speaker concluded by saying that he "didn't think anyone should lose their job because an errant number found its way on to a dialogue between leaders:"
Johnson had already spoken on the matter on Monday, calling the incident a mistake but refusing to label it irresponsible. "Apparently, an inadvertent phone number made it onto that thread," he said . "They are going to track that down and make sure it doesn't happen again":
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the Trump administration after top officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, allegedly discussed the details of a highly sensitive operation to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen in a group chat that… pic.twitter.com/FPmkDLCFAb
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 24, 2025
Senator Ted Cruz echoed Johnson's comments earlier in the day, labeling the incident an "embarrassing mess" but dismissing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) call for an inquiry, calling it a "political attack."
Democrats, however, have slammed the incident, criticizing the administration's handling of the matter. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called it "incompetence," while former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said those responsible should be fired.
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