Dems Press White House for Answers Following Yemen Group Chat Revelations

Lawmakers expressed outrage on Monday following a report that revealed a significant security breach involving the Trump administration. The incident came to light when journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a group chat where senior White House officials discussed U.S. military operations in Yemen.

Members of Congress, particularly Democrats, are calling for an extensive investigation into how an editor from a well-known publication was included in sensitive national security discussions. The White House has confirmed the details of Goldberg’s report, which disclosed that national security adviser Michael Waltz mistakenly included him in the encrypted messaging platform Signal prior to the March 15 strikes.

Participants in the group included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. As they debated actions against the Houthis, they shared classified information without realizing a journalist was present. Goldberg noted that this could potentially violate federal laws regarding the disclosure of national security details through unauthorized channels. He exited the chat after the strikes, and no officials reached out to clarify his involvement.

The revelation sparked fierce reactions from congressional leaders. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal condemned the breach as “appalling,” comparing it to teenagers mistakenly mixing up group texts. He demanded accountability for what he termed a “shocking and dangerous failure” in operational security.

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, echoed these concerns, labeling the story as one of the most severe lapses in operational security he has ever encountered. Reed pledged to seek immediate explanations from the White House regarding the use of the Signal chat for military planning.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer drew parallels to the scrutiny faced by Hillary Clinton over her email practices during her time as Secretary of State. He criticized the administration’s handling of sensitive military information in an unauthorized setting, suggesting that such actions could have dire consequences if intercepted by adversaries.

Rep. Mike Lawler from New York also weighed in, stressing that classified information should never be shared over unsecured communications, especially with individuals lacking the appropriate security clearances. He advocated for the implementation of measures to prevent future incidents.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune remarked that lawmakers are still gathering information about the situation, indicating the need for a thorough inquiry. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged that the Trump administration recognized the incident as a mistake, committing to improving security protocols to avert similar breaches in the future.

In the midst of the fallout, Trump stated he was unaware of the Signal group discussions leading up to the Yemen strikes, despite the White House confirming the authenticity of the messages released by The Atlantic.