White House Confirms Hegseth Group Chat Led To Security Breach

Concern is growing about the carelessness of Defense Secretary Hegseth holding a security briefing on a messaging app about an impending military strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Not only is the app insecure, but a journalist was inadvertently invited to participate - which he did. 

This adds to the increased alarm among American allies about the competence of its new military leadership, which may already be affecting willingness to share intelligence with the US and could lead to fewer purchases of American weaponry out of fear that the US can either interfere with their operation or share sensitive details about them with foes like Russia. JL   

Enjoli Liston reports in the New York Times:

The White House confirmed that Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, had discussed plans for military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in a group chat on the Signal messaging app that included the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, two hours before U.S. troops launched the attacks. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also in the group chat. Lawmakers said they would be examining the breach.  "It’s a concern,” said Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and chairman of the Armed Services Committee. “Definitely we’ll be looking into it.”

U.S. intelligence chiefs are scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, a day after it emerged that senior Trump administration officials had shared classified war plans in an encrypted group chat that also included a journalist, in an extraordinary breach of American national security.

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence; John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director; and Kash Patel, the head of the F.B.I., were scheduled to give lawmakers their first public “Worldwide Threat Assessment” of President Trump’s second term, but the hearing was likely to be overshadowed by sharp questioning from Democrats over the security breach.

The White House confirmed on Monday that Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, had discussed plans for military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in a group chat on the Signal messaging app that included the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, two hours before U.S. troops launched the attacks. Mr. Goldberg had detailed the breach in an article for The Atlantic, where he is editor in chief.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, said on social media that the episode showed the Trump administration was “playing fast and loose with our nation’s most classified info, and it makes all Americans less safe.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who also serves on the intelligence committee, assailed the Trump administration for its “recklessness.” “Our service members need competent leadership,” she wrote on social media. “Their lives depend on it.”

Some Democratic committee members called for Mr. Hegseth to face questions before Congress. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico said that Mr. Hegseth should explain how “such an irresponsible, reckless and likely illegal breach” had happened.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican of Maine who also sits on the intelligence committee, said it was “extremely troubling and serious” that Trump administration officials had discussed classified information on an unapproved messaging platform.

Other Republicans offered a more muted assessment. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana brushed off the episode, calling it “a mistake.”

According to Mr. Goldberg’s article, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also in the group chat. He said he had been added to the group by Michael Waltz, President Trump’s national security adviser.

The intelligence chiefs are likely to face questions about the breach on Wednesday as well, when they are scheduled to brief the House Intelligence Committee about the global threat assessment. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who sits on that committee, told CNN on Monday that his panel would send an inquiry to Ms. Gabbard’s office, and then would determine whether a fuller investigation was warranted.

Other lawmakers said they would also be examining the breach.

“There are always two sides to the story, but it’s a concern,” said Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and chairman of the Armed Services Committee. “Definitely we’ll be looking into it.”