President Donald Trump and his national security advisor Mike Waltz find themselves at the center of a developing scandal involving leaked military communications on the Signal messaging platform.
According to Fox News, Trump indicated during a Wednesday evening executive order signing that he believes Waltz was responsible for the Signal chat scandal that exposed discussions about a planned attack on Houthi targets in Yemen.
The president's comments mark a significant shift from his earlier stance, where he had suggested the responsibility lay with one of Michael's staffers during a Tuesday NBC interview. Trump also defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, firmly stating that he had no involvement in the incident.
The controversy erupted when The Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg discovered he had been inadvertently included in a Signal chat group containing senior Trump administration officials. The group was actively discussing military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen. After initial skepticism about the chat's authenticity, Goldberg verified the information when he observed the discussed actions taking place.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that tech mogul Elon Musk is now leading an investigation into the leak. Despite the gravity of the situation, Trump has already indicated that Waltz's position remains secure, regardless of the investigation's outcome.
The administration has attempted to minimize the impact of the leak, celebrating what they consider a semantic victory when The Atlantic modified their description from "war plans" to "attack plans" in a follow-up piece.
The president dismissed the significance of the leak during his media appearance, instead highlighting what he termed an "unbelievably successful" military operation. He suggested that media attention should focus on the operation's outcome rather than the communication breach.
White House officials have worked to downplay the severity of the incident. Leavitt took to X, formerly Twitter, characterizing the story as "another hoax" crafted by a Trump critic known for sensationalist reporting.
Goldberg emphasized the unprecedented nature of the breach, noting that while Signal usage among U.S. officials is common, it typically serves logistical purposes rather than as a platform for discussing immediate military actions.
Trump raised eyebrows by suggesting that Signal itself "could be defective," introducing a new angle to the ongoing controversy. This statement has prompted discussions about the security of encrypted messaging platforms used by government officials.
The incident has sparked debates about proper communication protocols within the administration. Security experts have begun questioning the wisdom of discussing sensitive military operations through messaging apps, even those with encryption capabilities.
Despite the scandal's potential security implications, Trump's public defense of Hegseth while appearing to blame Waltz has created additional tension within his national security team.
The unprecedented breach of secure communications involved senior Trump administration officials discussing military plans against Houthi targets in Yemen. The Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg found himself inadvertently included in a classified Signal chat group, leading to the exposure of sensitive operational details. President Trump has now publicly suggested National Security Advisor Mike Waltz's involvement in the leak, though he previously attributed it to a staff member. The administration continues to investigate the breach with Elon Musk's assistance, while maintaining that the successful military operation should be the focus rather than the communication breakdown.
