White House Confirms Authenticity of Signal Chat on Yemen War Plans

Goldberg reported that senior Trump administration officials coordinated sensitive military plans on the unsecure messaging platform.

White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told ABC News that the chat, which Goldberg said included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was under review.

“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain," Hughes said. "The thread is a demonstration of deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our servicemembers or our national security.”

The disclosure drew sharp reactions, including from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who faced scrutiny over her use of a private email server before the 2016 election.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Clinton posted on X.

Hegseth dismissed Goldberg’s portrayal of the chat, stating, “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” Speaking during a layover in Hawaii en route to Asia, he denounced Goldberg as “a deceitful and highly discredited, so-called journalist.”

President Donald Trump, when asked about the incident, said he was hearing about it for the first time. Later, he mocked the story by reposting an adviser’s comment on Truth Social that read, "Best place to hide a dead body is Page 2 of The Atlantic magazine, because no one ever goes there."

Goldberg said he initially thought someone was hoaxing him. “It seemed completely absurd to me that national security leaders would be using a messaging app to discuss military action—and invite The Atlantic’s editor,” he told ABC News.

He later realized the chat was legitimate. “Honestly, my reaction was, ‘I think I’ve discovered a massive security breach,’” he said, adding that the conversation included sensitive details about weapon systems, weather conditions, and attack sequencing.

The Pentagon referred questions to the National Security Council and the White House.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on the reported discussion, stating, “We will not comment on the secretary’s deliberative conversations.”

The revelation prompted criticism from congressional Democrats. Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed called the situation “stunning and dangerous.”

“If true, this represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” Reed said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled the incident “reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous.” He criticized the administration’s national security team as “unqualified” and accused them of jeopardizing American security.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a full investigation. “This kind of carelessness is how people get killed,” he said on the Senate floor.

Senator Tammy Duckworth posted on X, “Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in a group chat.”

Despite the backlash, House Speaker Mike Johnson downplayed the incident, saying, “The administration is addressing what happened. They’re going to track that down and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He added that he does not believe Waltz or Hegseth should face disciplinary action.