WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s latest headache isn’t from the Houthis—it’s from its own ranks. A Signal chat meant to plan strikes on Yemen’s rebels ended up in the hands of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, exposing a jaw-dropping security lapse.
President Donald Trump’s response, delivered March 24, 2025, mixes shrugs with a push for answers, but conservatives aren’t cheering. This is a screw-up, plain and simple, and it’s testing Trump’s grip on a team that’s supposed to project strength, not stumble into headlines.
The fiasco unfolded March 11, when National Security Adviser Michael Waltz added Goldberg to an 18-member chat dubbed “Houthi PC small group.” Heavyweights like Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hashed out strikes targeting Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. On March 15, Hegseth allegedly texted operational details—targets, weapons, timing—two hours before strikes hit Sanaa, killing 53 per Yemen’s health ministry. Goldberg, a Trump foe, watched silently, then published the leak, claiming he’d glimpsed war plans in real-time.
Trump’s reaction was classic but cool. “I don’t know anything about it,” he told reporters, sidestepping with a jab at The Atlantic as “a failing magazine.” To NBC, he called it a “glitch” and vouched for Waltz, saying, “He’s a good man who’s learned something.” No mea culpa—just a pivot to the strikes’ success. The National Security Council confirmed the chat’s authenticity, launching a review of how Goldberg’s number—possibly a mix-up with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s—slipped in. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted no classified data leaked, touting “effective” Houthi hits. Hegseth, from Hawaii, dismissed Goldberg as “discredited,” denying war plans were shared.
President Trump told NBC this morning that it was one of Mike Walz's staffers who added Goldberg to the signal chat pic.twitter.com/e8tYROMCwP
— Whale Psychiatrist ™️ (@k_ovfefe2) March 25, 2025
Conservatives aren’t buying the spin. Signal isn’t a secure platform—using it for this risks Espionage Act breaches, experts say. The chat’s casual vibe, complete with Waltz’s fist-flag-fire emojis, reeks of carelessness, not competence. Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer seized on it, calling it “stunning” and demanding probes, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren branded it “illegal.” Even GOP Sen. Roger Wicker raised an eyebrow. X users on the right grumbled about double standards—Hillary’s emails got a pass—but most agree: this isn’t Biden-level chaos; it’s still a Trump-team failure.
The stakes are high. The Houthis, Iran-backed and newly redesignated terrorists by Trump, have disrupted shipping since 2023, defying a shaky Gaza ceasefire. The March 15 strikes aimed to restore order, but the leak undercuts Trump’s tough-guy image. Congressional hearings loom—Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard faced Senate questions March 25—and lawmakers want scalps. Was it human error or systemic rot? The NSC’s scrambling to find out, but conservatives expect Trump to act, not just talk.
Trump’s got options. He could fire Waltz or Hegseth to show he means business—accountability’s a conservative hallmark. Or he might dig in, betting the Houthi wins outweigh the embarrassment. His base wants results, not excuses, but they’re wary of more gaffes. The left’s howling for blood; the right’s holding its breath. This isn’t the disciplined machine Trump promised—it’s a wake-up call. How he handles it will show if he’s still the leader who can turn chaos into order, or if the cracks are starting to show.
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