Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top Trump administration officials are getting slammed online over the accidental addition of a journalist to a group chat discussing highly sensitive attacks on the Houthis.
"Pete Hegseth texting out war plans like invites to a frat party," said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz when reacting to the story, written by The Atlantic Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Pete Hegseth texting out war plans like invites to a frat party. https://t.co/vPqblS7znv
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) March 24, 2025
Other top Democratic officials piled on. Illinois Governor JB Pritzer said that the "incompetence of the Trump administration is putting us at risk at home and abroad," while Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego also expressed dismay, saying: "If I handled classified and sensitive information in this way when I was in the Marines... oh boy..."
If I handled classified and sensitive information in this way when I was in the Marines… oh boy… https://t.co/I8qv0AMV31
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) March 24, 2025
Former Defense Secretary during the Barack Obama administration, Leon Panetta, said on CNN that whoever created the channel on signal, an encrypted messaging app, should be fired. "Somebody on the Atlantic got the most sensitive emails you can imagine at the federal level. That is a serious blunder. It has to be investigated and somebody, frankly, needs to get fired," Panetta added.
Goldberg detailed on his piece how he was added to the group, former only by high-ranking officials. Initially skeptical about it being real, the journalist ended up convincing himself of its veracity after information discussed began checking out. He then left the group and consulted administration officials on the matter, with them confirming the group was indeed formed by top officials, including national security advisor Michael Waltz, Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Goldberg added that Waltz, who coordinated the group chat, could have violated the Espionage Act due to the reckless handling of national defense information. Lawyers consulted by the outlet said that officials should not set up such groups in the first place, as Signal is not approved by the government for sharing classified information.
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