On Mar. 24, reporter Jeffery Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, was added to a signal group chat named “Houthi PC small group” with U.S. national security leaders. Notable officials include National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (TG) and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
President Trump’s team communicated top secret national security information that conveyed details of the timing and description of weapons used for an attack against Houthis in Yemen. A total of 18 Trump officials were involved, and Jeffery Goldberg published several screenshots and his account of the situation. Goldberg reported, “U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling”.
Goldberg added, “The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.”
What signified this event was that the world found out shortly before 2 p.m. EDT on Mar. 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen. Meanwhile, Goldberg reported, “I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming.”
Since Goldberg’s article, chats from the group chat have gone viral, with many opinions concerning some of the language, emojis, and bold statements presented.
Sophomore Caroline Quinlivan shared her thoughts on the recent news,
“Honestly, I’m terrified,” Quinlivan said. “It’s bewildering how government officials we should trust with our lives could act so childish, irresponsible and, quite frankly, idiotic about a topic that will result in killing millions. The unprofessional structure of the entire conversation just shows how little they put into their work, too.”
The incident has sparked outrage and concern among students and Americans alike over national security protocols, raising questions about the competence and discretion of top U.S. officials. As more leaked messages are revealed, the full impact of this breach remains uncertain at the moment, though consequences continue to undermine trust in the government.
