 "From Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton: Here's what Republicans, Democrats said over leaked war plan chats")
The Trump administration is facing a storm of criticism after a staggering breach of national security protocols, in which a top journalist was accidentally added to a group chat discussing sensitive military plans for airstrikes in Yemen.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly invited to a Signal group titled “Houthi PC small group” earlier this month– a forum that included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and intelligence chiefs. The group proceeded to deliberate on precise operational details, including target lists, weapons systems, and timing of the strikes– all while Goldberg silently observed the exchange.
The incident has triggered widespread alarm in Washington, prompting outrage from Democratic leaders, unease among Republican lawmakers, and a defensive posture from the White House, which insists no classified information was shared.
Here’s a look at who said what over the entire fiasco.
Republicans
President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump downplayed the leak, calling it “the only glitch in two months” of his second-term administration. In an interview with NBC News, he insisted the episode “turned out not to be a serious one,” and defended National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump said. He implied that an aide, and not Waltz himself, may have mistakenly added Goldberg to the chat.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMike Waltz
Waltz, for his part, expressed confusion over how Goldberg ended up in the group. “This one in particular, I’ve never met, don’t know, never communicated with,” Waltz told reporters. “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward,” he said, somehow remaining stunningly unapologetic.
Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, both members of the group chat, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that no classified materials were shared.
They noted that Signal, the app used for the chat, is encrypted– but critics were quick to point out that encryption alone does not excuse the use of unclassified channels for military planning.
Mike Johnson
House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed that sentiment, framing the matter as “an issue of systems and process, not personnel.” He warned against scapegoating officials over what he called a procedural lapse.
Don Bacon
But not all Republicans were willing to look the other way. Representative Don Bacon, a retired Air Force general, criticised the handling of the situation and called on Defense Secretary Hegseth to take responsibility. “They ought to just be honest and own up to it,” Bacon said.
Democrats
Democrats, however, responded with fury, accusing the administration of jeopardising national security while evading accountability.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton– who faced years of Republican criticism over her use of a private email server for communicating with her aides– weighed in with biting irony, posting on social media apps X and Threads: “You have got to be kidding me,” complete with an eyeroll emoji and a link to The Atlantic article detailing the incident.
👀 You have got to be kidding me.https://t.co/IhhvFvw6DG pic.twitter.com/bnNG4dGSpI
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2025
Chuck Schumer
“This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech.
Ken Martin
DNC Chair Ken Martin called for Hegseth’s resignation. “Hegseth — and everyone else involved — put on a stunning display of recklessness and disregard for our national security,” he said.
Mark Warner
Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was equally scathing. In a hearing, he noted that any lower-ranking official who discussed war plans in an unsecured group chat would have likely been fired. On social media, he wrote, “When the stakes are this high, incompetence is not an option. Pete Hegseth should resign. Mike Waltz should resign.”
Hakeem Jeffries
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries went a step further. In a letter to President Trump, he became the highest-ranking Democrat to formally demand that Hegseth be fired.
“The so-called secretary of defense recklessly and casually disclosed highly sensitive war plans — including the timing of a pending attack, possible strike targets and the weapons to be used — during an unclassified national security group chat that inexplicably included a reporter,” Jeffries wrote.
With inputs from agencies
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