White House confirms leaked Trump admin plan for Yemen strikes sent to journalist as ‘authentic’
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen during an event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S. on March 21, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Leaked messages of senior Trump administration officials discussing U.S. plans to strike Yemen’s Houthi rebels are “authentic,” the White House confirmed Monday after a report revealed a journalist had inadvertently been added to a sensitive messaging group.
“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in an emailed statement.
“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our servicemembers or national security,” Hughes added.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, disclosed in an article published hours earlier that he had mistakenly been added to the group of senior officials on the Signal messaging platform on March 13. Goldberg said he received a connection request from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz two days prior.
The group included Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Donald Trump.
The messaging group, created by Waltz, was intended to coordinate strikes against the Houthis among what is known as the Principals Committee (PC)—a small group of senior national security officials, including those listed above, the Treasury secretary, and the CIA director.
Shortly after being added to the “Houthi PC small group” by Waltz, Goldberg said he began receiving messages from officials debating whether to execute strikes on the Houthis. Vice President JD Vance initially pushed back on launching the attacks, arguing they would benefit Europe more than the U.S.
“Three percent of U.S. trade runs through the Suez. Forty percent of European trade does,” Vance wrote, adding that the strikes could cause “a moderate to severe spike in oil prices.”
“I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself,” Vance said.
‘This is not about the Houthis’
Hegseth responded quickly, acknowledging Vance’s concerns but stating that the Pentagon was “prepared to execute.” He added, “This is not about the Houthis. It’s about restoring freedom of navigation and reestablishing deterrence, which Biden cratered.”
Waltz added that, regardless of timing, “it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes.”
“Per the president’s request, we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the costs and levy them on the Europeans,” Waltz said.
‘Not fan of The Atlantic’
On March 15, when the strikes were carried out, Goldberg said he received messages that revealed key operational details of the attack, including targets and weapons the U.S. would use. As the strikes unfolded, officials exchanged congratulatory messages.
“Kudos to all—especially those in theater and CENTCOM! Really great. God bless,” wrote Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff.
Goldberg left the group the following day.
When asked about the report, President Donald Trump told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.”
“I’m not a fan of The Atlantic. It’s a magazine that’s going out of business. I think it’s not much of a magazine, but I know nothing about it,” Trump added.
