This dynamite article from The Atlantic magazine. It sheds light on conversations that took place in a group chat on the messaging platform Signal between current Pentagon head Pete Hegseth and other intelligence bigwigs. Jeffrey Goldberg timed his hit piece just over an hour before a House intelligence committee hearing. This timing served to further magnify the influence of this article. The leaked communications provided a glimpse into how US bombings and drone strikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi militia were being conducted. They introduced sketches of the prevailing climate as well.
The article resulted from an unintentional inclusion of Goldberg to the Signal chat caucus. This blunder opened the door for him to join conversations over highly sensitive deliberations. The former administration and national intelligence director under Trump, Tulsi Gabbard, as well as CIA director John Ratcliffe all stressed that there was nothing classified in these leaked messages. This leak has raised an extraordinary firestorm.
"As we have repeatedly stated, there was no classified information transmitted in the group chat." – Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary
The Atlantic described the leaked messages as operational details concerning US strikes on the Houthi militia, known for attacking shipping routes in the Red Sea. This disclosure has led to increased scrutiny on the security of nonsecure communication channels used by high-level administration officials.
"There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared." – The Atlantic magazine
The timing of the article's release heightened its impact, coinciding with scrutiny during a House intelligence committee hearing. The Trump administration has faced intense criticism over the leak of what some perceive as sensitive information, despite official assertions to the contrary.