The Atlantic publishes signal chat about Yemen attack that stired controversy in Trump administration

Investing.com -- The Atlantic has released the full text chat regarding a strike on Houthis, which has caused controversy within the Trump administration. The chat involved Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, and President Donald Trump. The officials have maintained that no classified information was shared in the chat.

The chat, named "Houthi PC small group," was initiated by National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, by mistake. Goldberg received information about the attacks two hours before the scheduled start, raising concerns about national security.

The chat contained detailed plans and timings for the attacks. At 11:44 a.m. eastern time, Hegseth posted an update, confirming the favorable weather and the go-ahead from Central Command (Centcom) for mission launch. The message detailed the launch timings of F-18s and strike drones, as well as the expected time for the first bombs to drop.

The conversation also included real-time intelligence about conditions at an attack site, apparently in Sanaa. Waltz informed the group about a building collapse and the positive identification of the Houthi target.

The administration maintains that the military information contained in the texts was not classified. However, experts have pointed out that the use of a Signal chat for such sensitive discussions poses a threat to national security.

Despite objections from the administration, The Atlantic decided to publish the full texts in the public interest. The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that while there was no classified information transmitted in the group chat, the administration does not encourage the release of the conversation as it was intended to be an internal and private deliberation amongst high-level senior staff.

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The CIA requested the withholding of the name of John Ratcliffe’s chief of staff, which Ratcliffe had shared in the Signal chat. The Atlantic has agreed to continue to withhold the name of the officer.

The reason for the inclusion of a journalist in the chat remains unclear, with Waltz stating that he was investigating how Goldberg was added to the group.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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