 "Will Pete Hegseth or Mike Waltz face the axe from Trump over the Yemen war plan leak?")
The revelation that high-ranking Trump administration officials discussed military plans on a civilian messaging app, inadvertently including a journalist, has sparked widespread outrage and calls for resignations.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz are at the centre of the controversy, with critics labelling the incident as one of the most serious breaches of operational security in recent memory.
How the leak happened
The controversy began when Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed in an article that he had been mistakenly added to a Signal group chat involving top US officials discussing a planned military operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
While Hegseth assured the group that they were “clean on OPSEC,” security experts and lawmakers have argued otherwise.
New York Times columnist David French described Hegseth’s conduct as “incompetence that gets people killed.”
Drawing from his experience as a former Army lawyer investigating classified information breaches, French stated that any officer responsible for such an error would likely face immediate consequences, including removal from their position and potential criminal charges. “If he had any honour at all, he would resign,” he wrote.
The National Security Council has since confirmed that the chat was authentic. Some of the other officials named in Goldberg’s report have also admitted to being part of the conversation while testifying before Congress.
Trump stands by Waltz
Despite bipartisan condemnation, Trump has remained steadfast in his defence of Waltz , referring to the incident as a mere “glitch.” In an interview with NBC News, he insisted that Waltz had “learned a lesson” and was “a good man.”
During a meeting with US ambassadors, Trump downplayed the severity of the leak , attributing it to technological imperfections rather than an error in judgment. “It’s equipment and technology that’s not perfect. And, probably he won’t be using it again. At least not in the very near future,” he remarked.
The White House communications team has echoed this sentiment. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on X (formerly Twitter) that “No ‘war plans’ were discussed” and “No classified material was sent to the thread.”
Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin. Here are the facts about his latest story:
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 25, 2025
1. No “war plans” were discussed.
2. No classified material was sent to the thread.
3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different…
Calls for resignations grow louder
Many Democratic lawmakers have demanded resignations. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the mishap “the highest level of f**kup imaginable,” while Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin stated, “Hegseth should resign, and if he doesn’t, he should be fired.”
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) criticised Hegseth’s appointment, arguing that his lack of experience made him unfit for the role. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, even some Republicans have expressed doubts about Waltz’s future.
“Everyone in the White House can agree on one thing: Mike Waltz is a f***ing idiot,” an anonymous source close to the administration told Politico.
In an op-ed, National Review’s executive editor, Mark Antonio Wright, stressed the gravity of the situation, urging President Donald Trump to “hold someone accountable.” He criticised the officials for engaging in sensitive discussions outside government-approved communication channels, calling it a “total breach of protocol and operational security.”
“Embarrassing, but not malicious”
In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Waltz admitted that the incident was “embarrassing” but insisted he was taking full responsibility. “We made a mistake, we’re moving forward, and we’re going to continue to knock it out of the park for this President,” he said. When asked if a staffer was to blame, Waltz clarified, “A staffer wasn’t responsible. And look, I take full responsibility. I built the group.”
Waltz also attacked Jeffrey Goldberg, calling him a “loser” and “the bottom scum of journalists.” He maintained that no classified information was leaked but acknowledged that internal deliberations should have remained confidential.
He further confirmed that the administration was investigating how Goldberg was added to the Signal chat, though he denied ever speaking to the journalist directly.
Who will resign?
Congressional scrutiny over the incident is mounting. At a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, intelligence heads, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, were pressed on whether classified details had been compromised. Both insisted that no classified material was shared.
“The Secretary of Defence is the original classification authority for DOD in deciding what would be classified information,” Ratcliffe said.
However, Democratic senators cited concerns over the content of the chat, which allegedly included details of targets, attack sequencing, and weapons to be used. Senator Angus King questioned how such information could not be classified, given its sensitive nature.
“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” Hegseth told reporters while on an official trip to Hawaii on Monday.
Goldberg responded to Hegseth’s denial in an interview on CNN late on Monday by saying, “No, that’s a lie. He was texting war plans.”
Goldberg later told MSNBC that he refrained from publishing some details due to national security concerns but confirmed that the chat contained specifics on “targets and timing and weapons.”
Whether Trump will ultimately dismiss Waltz or Hegseth remains to be seen.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
