Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth found himself at the center of a national security firestorm on March 24, 2025, after inadvertently sharing classified war plans with a journalist in a Signal group chat, just hours before U.S. airstrikes hit Houthi targets in Yemen. The bombshell, exposed in a nearly 3,500-word piece by The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, has triggered outrage, calls for investigations, and a fierce denial from Hegseth himself.
The Signal Chat That Changed Everything
It all started on March 11, 2025, when Goldberg received a Signal connection request from “Michael Waltz,” Trump’s national security adviser. Two days later, on March 13, Waltz added him to a group chat titled “Houthi PC small group.” At first, Goldberg thought it had to be a prank—senior U.S. officials texting war plans on a public app with a journalist accidentally added?
But by March 15, just two hours before the U.S. launched its strikes on the Houthi rebels, Hegseth sent a text that confirmed everything. He messaged “precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing” for the attack.
Goldberg described the contents: specific Houthi strongholds, missile types, and strike sequences—all highly classified and meant for secure Pentagon channels, not a chat app. Sitting in his car, Goldberg waited for the explosions—and, they came right on cue. That’s when he realized: this was no hoax.
Who Was in the Chat?
This wasn’t just a rogue message from Hegseth. The Signal group reportedly included:
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Vice President JD Vance
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio
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CIA Director John Ratcliffe
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National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard
Since March 13, these senior officials had been debating the pros and cons of bombing the Houthis, who had been disrupting Red Sea shipping routes.
During the exchange, Vance texted:
“If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
To which Hegseth replied:
“VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC,”
before insisting the U.S. needed to act.
Hegseth’s Denial: “Nobody Was Texting War Plans”
On March 24, upon arriving in Hawaii for a Pentagon visit, Hegseth faced the press and fired back at Goldberg:
“Nobody was texting war plans—that’s all I’ve got to say.”
He labeled Goldberg a
“deceitful, discredited so-called journalist”
who peddles “hoaxes,” referencing The Atlantic’s previous controversial Trump scoops, like the “suckers and losers” story.
“This is a guy who deals in garbage,”
Hegseth said, dodging questions about why Signal—an encrypted but unclassified app—was being used to communicate war strategy.
The White House Reaction
Despite Hegseth’s denial, the White House is not backing him. NSC spokesman Brian Hughes told The Atlantic:
“This appears to be an authentic message chain.”
They’ve since launched a probe into how Goldberg was mistakenly added to the chat.
Later that day, Goldberg doubled down on MSNBC, stating:
“No, that’s a lie. He was texting war plans—minute-by-minute details organized by CENTCOM.”
The NSC didn’t dispute the contents of the messages—only that Goldberg’s inclusion may have been accidental.
This incident could go far beyond political embarrassment. Legal experts warn it could be a violation of the Espionage Act. Sharing classified operational details outside secure systems like SIPRNet is a serious federal offense.
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told CNN:
“It’s a serious blunder that could undermine war plans and jeopardize lives.”
He called for a full investigation.
If the details about strike targets had leaked to hostile forces, U.S. troops could have walked into a trap.
What They Were Debating
The group chat reportedly included 18 senior officials and covered wide-ranging topics:
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Oil price volatility
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Israel’s potential reactions
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Global strategic deterrence
Hegseth reportedly argued:
“We are prepared to execute … This is about restoring deterrence Biden cratered,”
according to The Atlantic.
While Trump approved the March 15 strikes, he claimed ignorance when asked yesterday:
“I know nothing about it,”
he told reporters.
Congress and the Pentagon Respond
The Pentagon remained tight-lipped. Spokesman Sean Parnell refused to comment. But Congress isn’t staying quiet.
Senator Jack Reed condemned the leak as:
“An egregious failure, and called for immediate hearings.”
Military Times,
Meanwhile, Hegseth continues his tour of Indo-Pacific bases in Hawaii, but the scandal is looming large.
Whether this was a sloppy mistake or a deeper systemic issue, the implications are serious. The man who once urged “overwhelming force” to “destroy the enemy” on Fox News may have just compromised the very mission he was trying to execute.
And with Defense lawyers arguing dismissal in a totally unrelated case—the Gary Busey courtroom drama—the political circus around the administration only continues to grow.