Trump Admin Leaks Military Strike Plans in Shocking Mistake

In one of the most reckless national security breaches in modern American history, top aides to Donald Trump reportedly leaked details of a planned military strike—by accidentally adding a journalist to their group chat.

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, a long-time critic of Trump and frequent target of his insults, was the stunned recipient of a Signal group thread involving Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and other senior officials. The group unknowingly discussed confidential details of a March 14 strike on Houthi forces in Yemen—while Goldberg watched in disbelief.

“This wasn’t just sloppy,” a former intelligence officer told us. “It was borderline sabotage—against themselves.”

A Strike, a Mistake, and 53 Dead

Goldberg says he was added to the encrypted chat on March 11 by an account under Waltz’s name. Initially suspicious that it might be a setup, he watched the conversation unfold in real-time. The officials debated the merits of the Yemen strike, laid out logistical details, and even shared personal misgivings.

“I think we are making a mistake,” JD Vance wrote from Michigan. “I just hate bailing Europe out again.”

That text alone is explosive. Publicly, Vance has shown nothing but loyalty to Trump. Behind closed doors, he’s raising alarms about foreign entanglements.

When the strike hit three days later—killing at least 53 people, according to the Houthi-controlled health ministry—Goldberg says his fears were confirmed.

“I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot watching tweets about the explosions. Then came the celebratory messages,” he wrote.

Emoji Diplomacy

After the bombs dropped, the chat lit up with glee. Waltz’s account called it an “amazing job,” followed by a barrage of emojis: a fist, an American flag, and fire.

“Good Job Pete and your team!!” wrote someone identified as “MAR.”
“Kudos to all – most particularly those in theater and CENTCOM!” added Susie Wiles.
Another message from “TG” read simply: “Great work and effects!”

The Atlantic chose not to publish the full texts but confirmed their contents and tone.

An Unforced Error

Goldberg says he left the chat shortly after realizing what he’d been exposed to. That action sent a notification to the group. No one followed up. No one asked who he was.

“They were too busy patting themselves on the back,” one former NSC official told us. “Or they had no idea how secure communications are supposed to work.”

The White House National Security Council later confirmed the messages appeared “authentic” and admitted a phone number had been “inadvertently added” to the group.

“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials,” NSC spokesman Brian Hughes said—trying to frame the breach as a positive.

Trump: “I Don’t Know Anything About It”

In classic Trump fashion, the former president deflected blame and feigned ignorance when asked about the leak Monday afternoon.

“I don’t know anything about it,” Trump told reporters. “I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked Goldberg, calling him a “radical-left lunatic” and a “sleazebag” for past reporting—particularly the now-infamous story about Trump allegedly calling fallen U.S. soldiers “suckers” and “losers.”

Security Experts Sound Alarm

Experts say this isn’t just embarrassing—it’s dangerous.

“This kind of carelessness gives adversaries insight into our planning and politics,” said retired Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute. “And it sends a message to our allies: Washington is in chaos.”

The Biden-aligned national security community has called for an investigation into how a war planning group chat could be so easily compromised.

“We used to joke about Trump tweeting classified info,” said one former Obama-era staffer. “Now his team is texting it to journalists.”

For a man who campaigned on “America First,” this blunder is starting to look more like “Security Last.”