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    US Threatens To Abandon Ukraine Peace Negotiations

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    By President Of Ukraine - https://www.flickr.com/photos/165930373@N06/54169325552/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156221279

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the United States may back off from assisting in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that it needs to be determined within days whether achieving a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is “doable in the short term,” warning that he thinks the U.S. will “move on” if it is not achievable.

    Rubio has been working alongside Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to broker a 30-day ceasefire agreement with Russia and Ukraine, which has not yet been seen to fruition.

    “We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters Friday while departing from negotiations with his counterparts in Paris. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on.”

    “It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on,” he added, suggesting the U.S. would decide if continued talks were “doable” in a “matter of days.”

    But Rubio noted that the U.S. will help if either or both sides are “serious about peace.”

    (Miami – Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

    “@POTUS has been clear: The time to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is now. Today in Paris, @SE_MiddleEast, @SPE_Kellogg and I met with leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine to talk about how we can stop the killing and reach a just and sustainable peace,” Rubio noted in a post on X. 

    While ceasefire negotiations have been slow, Trump has maintained that efforts to obtain a minerals deal with Ukraine are picking up pace. The U.S. leader said access to the country’s critical natural resources would provide a strong interest in maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and security for years to come. 

    The secretary also suggested that the U.K., France and Germany can help “move the ball” on negotiations. Officials who met in Paris have agreed to meet again in London next week with hopes of gearing peace talks toward a secured deal. 

    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    Despite Rubio’s comments, Vice President Vance said Friday he believes talks will move forward.

    “The negotiations, I won’t pre-judge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war to a close,” he told reporters during his visit to Rome, where he met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — a day after she met with President Trump at the White House.

    Ukrainian Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said she signed a memorandum of intent with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ahead of a potential agreement. 

    “I assume they’re going to live up to the deal, so we’ll see. But we have a deal on that,” Trump said Thursday.

    FAA Contractor Pleads Guilty To Spying For Iran

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor has pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of Iran.

    The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Virginia, pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of Iran by pursuing an FAA job to gain access to information. From 2017 to 2024, Rahmati met with Iranian officials, communicated with security officials, and provided “non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry.”

    According to the DOJ, it was Rahmati who offered his services to Iran:

    In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services to the Iranian government through a senior Iranian government official who previously worked in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and with whom Rahmati had previously attended university. Four months later, in December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran, where he met with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials and agreed to obtain information about the U.S. solar energy industry, to provide that information to Iranian officials, and to conduct future communications under a cover story based on purported discussions about research with fellow academics.

    Rahmati previously was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 1st Lt., a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, from June 2009 to May 2010. The IRGC is a designated terrorist group by the U.S. government.

    The DOJ said Rahmati offered his services to Iran in August 2017 through a former colleague who was a senior Iranian government official who previously worked at the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

    Rahmati traveled to Iran four months later and met with intelligence operatives and government officials, the DOJ said. He also agreed to gather and provide Iranian officials with information about the solar industry in the U.S.

    Read:

    24-cr-438_indictment_Download

    Rahmati provided information “relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers” to his brother in Iran, which was then provided to government officials. He also at one point provided information related to “the National Aerospace System (NAS), Airport Surveillance Radar systems, and radio frequency data.”

    In early 2018, Rahmati obtained private and open-source materials related to the U.S. solar industry, then provided them to the office of Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology.

    Rahmati is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26, and he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government, and up to five years in prison for conspiracy.

    The guilty plea comes amidst President Donald Trump’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran in which the president has warned military options are on the table should Iran not agree to never possess a nuclear weapon.

    Space Force Commander Fired After Sending Mass Email To Staff About VP Vance

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    She’s out…

    The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she broke with Vice President JD Vance who recently traveled to Greenland.

    After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”

    She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com.

    The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” 

    “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. 

    Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. 

    “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. 

    Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. 

    Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” 

    “Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”

    Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. 

    The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. 

    “We need Greenland for national security and international security,” President Donald Trump said on March 11. 

    Report: Threat To Assassinate Trump Appears In Official Iran Paper

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    National security officials are on high alert…

    Threats to kill President Donald Trump have emerged in Iran’s propaganda newspaper after he threatened to bomb the regime “like never before” as Iran has also reportedly placed its military on “high alert.”

    Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is said to have put Iran’s military on standby to prepare for any future strikes from the US.

    Tehran was slapped with a chilling deadline to either hold direct talks and sign a new nuclear agreement or potentially face military action. However, Khamenei has reportedly strongly refused to agree to Trump’s demands, saying that Iran will not engage in any direct negotiations with the US.

    The snub saw a furious Trump rip into the regime and threaten to strike Iran.

    The president vowed to bomb Iran “like never before” if the regime does not fall in line and strike up a new nuclear deal with the US.

    The Sun reports:

    Amid the potential strike threat, Kayhan – a hardline Iranian newspaper managed by Khamenei’s representative – issued a column calling to assassinate Trump.

    The chilling threat was written in retaliation to the 2020 killing of IRGC’s Qassim Soleimani by US airstrikes.

    President Trump has given his team strict instructions to “obliterate” Iran if the country ever assassinates him.

    It was revealed in November that an Iranian agent had been charged with plotting to kill Trump in an assassination.

    US prosecutors say the rogue state told ex-con Farhad Shakeri — said to be hiding in Tehran — to devise a seven-day plan to spy on and murder him.

    In February, Trump responded to a question over what protocols would instantly be triggered should he be killed by an Iranian plot by saying there is already a plan set.

    He said: “I’ve left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left.”

    Federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other US administration officials for years.

    Meanwhile, Khamenei is said to be amassing troops to brace for a potential conflict.

    Trump Purges National Security Team Amid Loyalty Concerns Following Oval Office Meeting With Laura Loomer

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    0

    President Donald Trump has dismissed several senior officials from the National Security Council (NSC) following an Oval Office meeting with controversial activist Laura Loomer. During yesterday’s meeting, first reported Thursday, Loomer presented a list of individuals she claimed were insufficiently loyal to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda.

    Among those removed are David Feith, senior director for technology and national security, and Brian Walsh, senior director for intelligence matters.

    Loomer urged the removal of NSC staffers she deemed disloyal. While it’s unclear if her recommendations directly led to the firings, sources describe the action as part of an “anti-neocon” effort targeting officials associated with hawkish foreign policy views.

    According to Axios reporters Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler, up to 10 people were unceremoniously dismissed.

    Behind the scenes: The U.S. official said Loomer was furious that “neocons” had “slipped through” the vetting process for administration jobs, referring to hawkish foreign policy views commonly associated with the Bush administration.

    “She went to the White House yesterday and presented them with her research and evidence,” the official said. Loomer’s visit was reported earlier by Status and The New York Times. The official suspected that the firings were linked to Loomer’s visit but was not certain.

    The Oval Office discussion included Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Presidential Personnel Director Sergio Gor. Loomer emphasized the need for strong loyalty within the national security team.

    The firings follow recent issues within the NSC, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz’s accidental inclusion of a left-wing journalist in a secure chat about military operations in Yemen, raising concerns about operational security.

    Axios continues:

    State of play: Axios has not confirmed whether any of the individuals let go were in any way connected to the separate controversy about the use of Signal and private email accounts by national security adviser Michael Waltz and NSC staff to discuss sensitive information.

    Trump considered firing Waltz at the height of the “Signalgate” scandal but ultimately decided to keep him and deny his critics a scalp, Axios’ Marc Caputo and Mike Allen reported.

    Loomer has promoted the conspiracy theory that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job,” suggesting that the Bush administration had prior knowledge of the events. In a June 2023 social media post, she shared a video with the caption “9/11 was an Inside Job!” and implied that the attacks were linked to then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s announcement about $2.3 trillion in unaccounted funds the day before 9/11.

    The White House has not issued an official statement regarding these personnel changes.

    Trump Secures Release Of US Prisoner From Taliban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    An American woman being held captive by the Taliban is free…

    American citizen Faye Hall was released finally this week after being held since February and received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul.

    A source informed reporters that she has been confirmed to be in good health after undergoing a series of medical checks. Arrangements are currently underway for her return to the U.S.

    The Taliban agreed to release Hall after President Donald Trump removed multimillion-dollar bounties on senior members of the militant group, according to a report by the Telegraph.

    The White House shared a video on X Saturday afternoon of Hall thanking the president.

    “I’m glad you’re the President, and thank you for bringing me home,” Hall said. “I have never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr. President.”

    In a response posted to Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Thank you Faye — So honored with your words!”

    Trump agreed to remove millions of dollars of bounties on three senior members of the Haqqani network, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s interior minister, the outlet reported, noting that Washington was offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.

    Hall was arrested on Feb. 1 along with a British couple, Peter Reynolds, 79, his wife Barbie, 75, and their interpreter, the outlet reported. 

    Hall’s release comes after the Taliban released American hostage George Glezmann, 65, last week after holding him for more than two years. (RELATED: Trump Admin Frees American Hostage From Taliban)=

    The Trump administration has also secured the release of multiple Americans being held prisoner in Russia, including Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel. (RELATED: Trump Secures Release Of Second American While Revealing Details Of Russian Prisoner Swap)

    Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana. 

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    The Atlantic Publishes Additional Messages From ‘Secret War Plans’ Groupchat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel participates in an interview conducted by Jeffrey Goldberg in his office at the Pentagon Oct. 30, 2013 (Not Released)

    The Atlantic has published additional messages from Signal group chat among national security leaders that were inadvertently shared with Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, teeing up potential consequences for the publication.

    The move could trigger consequences for the magazine. Despite officials’ claims on Tuesday that the information contained within the chat was not classified, publishing such information could still violate the Espionage Act, which prohibits the release of national defense information.

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz have faced calls to resign following revelations that the outlet’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a private group chat earlier this month in which Hegseth, Waltz, Vice President JD Vance and other top administration officials reportedly discussed impending airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. 

    The Atlantic noted that the White House opposed its publishing of the information.

    Read the new messages:

    “TEAM UPDATE: TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch. 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package). 1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s),” Hegseth apparently wrote in a screenshot of a text message released Wednesday by The Atlantic. 

    “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package). 1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets). 1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched,” Hegseth reportedly continued, before adding “Godspeed to our Warriors.”

    Waltz later allegedly wrote “The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed,” according to The Atlantic. 

    “Excellent,” read a message in response attributed to Vance.

    The Atlantic said in its report Wednesday – titled “Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal” – that “the statements by Hegseth, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and Trump – combined with the assertions made by numerous administration officials that we are lying about the content of the Signal texts – have led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions.”

    “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,” wrote the Atlantic’s Goldberg and reporter Shane Harris. 

    “Experts have repeatedly told us that use of a Signal chat for such sensitive discussions poses a threat to national security. As a case in point, Goldberg received information on the attacks two hours before the scheduled start of the bombing of Houthi positions. If this information – particularly the exact times American aircraft were taking off for Yemen – had fallen into the wrong hands in that crucial two-hour period, American pilots and other American personnel could have been exposed to even greater danger than they ordinarily would face,” they also said.

    The Atlantic report said “A CIA spokesperson asked us to withhold the name of John Ratcliffe’s chief of staff, which Ratcliffe had shared in the Signal chain, because CIA intelligence officers are traditionally not publicly identified.”

    Multiple government officials have rebuked the additional reporting and have accused The Atlantic of peddling a “hoax.”

    White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said in response to the report that “The Atlantic has already abandoned their bulls— ‘war plans’ narrative, and in releasing the full chat , they concede they LIED to perpetuate yet ANOTHER hoax on the American people. What scumbags!”

    “The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans,’” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin.”

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the highest-ranking Democrat to do so, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump yesterday demanding that Hegseth be “fired immediately.” 

    “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. His behavior shocks the conscience, risked American lives and likely violated the law,” Jeffries wrote.

    Top House Democrat Calls On Hegseth To Resign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    The fifth-ranking House Democrat called for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign Tuesday.

    Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.), the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus and an Air Force veteran, said Hegseth’s sensitive messages — which detailed the Pentagon’s plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier this month — were “reckless” and put the lives of U.S. troops at risk. 

    “Had that information gotten to the Houthis, American pilots could have been shot down, [and] Navy sailors could have been targeted,” Lieu said during a press briefing in the Capitol. “His reckless actions endangered lives of American troops, endangered our national security and makes it so that our allies don’t want to share sensitive classified information with us anymore.”

    Lieu’s remarks came shortly after another top congressional Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for the resignations of two top Trump officials who participated in the group chat: Hegseth and Mike Waltz, the White House national security adviser.

    The uproar was sparked Monday when Jeffrey Goldberg, the top editor of The Atlantic, published an explosive story revealing he had been invited to join a Signal group chat featuring many of the highest ranking officials in the Trump administration, including Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth and Waltz. 

    On March 15, the discussion focused on the Pentagon’s plans to launch missile strikes against the Houthis, an Iran-backed group

    Hegseth has denied that narrative, saying “nobody was texting war plans” while accusing Goldberg of concocting the allegations. 

    “You’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again,” Hegseth said Monday. 

    Hegseth’s denial, however, has been undermined by the White House National Security Council, which verified the authenticity of the group chat and said it’s looking into the story. 

    Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the White House “is addressing” the episode, and no disciplinary actions should be taken against Hegseth or Waltz. 

    Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blamed the “leftist media” for focusing on process instead of Trump’s policies, which he said are popular.

    “They can’t argue with this new demonstration of American strength that is keeping Americans safe at home and abroad, so now we’re griping about who’s on a text message and who’s not,” Hawley told Fox News on Monday. “I mean, come on.”

    Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), another Air Force veteran, said it’s a certainty that Russia and China intercepted the chat messages around the time the strikes occurred. 

    “It’s a security violation, and there’s no doubt that Russia and China saw this stuff within hours of the actual attacks,” Bacon told CNN on Monday.  

    Lieu piled on, accusing Hegseth and other Trump officials of neglecting their chief responsibility: safeguarding the country they serve.

    “It shows how not serious these national security professionals take our national security,” he continued. “Hegseth needs to resign, and everyone on that text chain needs to go take some courses on how to deal with national security classified information.”

    Trump Decides Fate Of Official After Atlantic Leak

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A major security breach has rocked the White House and left many wondering who will bear the brunt of the consequences.

    President Donald Trump is not planning to fire national security advisor Mike Waltz in the wake of The Atlantic’s reporting of an apparent national security breach. A source close to the president told Fox News that Waltz’s job is safe and that he is not on the chopping block. 

    Fox News is told Waltz has no plans to resign and is sticking to his schedule Tuesday. He will be talking to his Russian counterpart about a Black Sea ceasefire deal and has plans to speak to Trump as usual later Tuesday.

    Waltz is also telling colleagues that he has never met or talked to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fox News has learned.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a new statement on Tuesday. The National Security Council earlier said The Atlantic’s report referenced what appeared to be an “authentic message chain.” 

    “Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” Leavitt wrote, before offering three “facts about his latest story.” Leavitt said no “war plans” were discussed, no classified material was sent to the thread and that the White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for the president’s top officials to communicate “as safely and efficiently as possible.” 

    “As the National Security Council stated, the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread,” Leavitt said. “Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective. Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump.” 

    A senior White House official revealed to Fox News how Goldberg may have been added to the Signal text chain with Cabinet members. (RELATED: Atlantic Journalist Claims Trump Officials Mistakenly Included Him In Classified War Plans Group Chat)

    Goldberg was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent the group details including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, which began on March 15.

    Others in the group were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

    From Goldberg’s bombshell story:

    On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz. Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging service popular with journalists and others who seek more privacy than other text-messaging services are capable of delivering. I assumed that the Michael Waltz in question was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. I did not assume, however, that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz. I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists—and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically. It immediately crossed my mind that someone could be masquerading as Waltz in order to somehow entrap me. It is not at all uncommon these days for nefarious actors to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them.

    I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

    Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.” A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.

    Goldberg went on to reveal that Hegseth discussed potentially dangerous classified information in the chat:

    It was the next morning, Saturday, March 15, when this story became truly bizarre.
    At 11:44 a.m., the account labeled “Pete Hegseth” posted in Signal a “TEAM UPDATE.” I will not quote from this update, or from certain other subsequent texts. The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.

    Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that he informed Goldberg that “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. 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 troops or national security.”

    Trump was asked about the report during an event with Louisiana officials at the White House shortly after it surfaced. The president maintained he was no fan of the publication and said he had no knowledge of the editor being accidentally included in the chain.

    “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me it’s a magazine that is going out of business,” Trump said. “I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?”

    A reporter responded that Trump officials were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive material and when Trump questioned “having to do with what?” the reporter said, “the Houthis.” Trump replied, “You mean the attack on the Houthis?”

    “Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” Trump added.

    Atlantic Journalist Claims Trump Officials Mistakenly Included Him In Classified War Plans Group Chat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Trump National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a group chat in which national security leaders discussed a military strike.

    Goldberg was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent the group details including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, which began on March 15.

    Others in the group were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

    From Goldberg’s bombshell story:

    On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz. Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging service popular with journalists and others who seek more privacy than other text-messaging services are capable of delivering. I assumed that the Michael Waltz in question was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. I did not assume, however, that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz. I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists—and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically. It immediately crossed my mind that someone could be masquerading as Waltz in order to somehow entrap me. It is not at all uncommon these days for nefarious actors to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them.

    I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

    Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.” A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.

    Goldberg went on to reveal that Hegseth discussed potentially dangerous classified information in the chat:

    It was the next morning, Saturday, March 15, when this story became truly bizarre.
    At 11:44 a.m., the account labeled “Pete Hegseth” posted in Signal a “TEAM UPDATE.” I will not quote from this update, or from certain other subsequent texts. The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.

    Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that he informed Goldberg that “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. 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 troops or national security.”

    Trump was asked about the report during an event with Louisiana officials at the White House shortly after it surfaced. The president maintained he was no fan of the publication and said he had no knowledge of the editor being accidentally included in the chain.

    “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me it’s a magazine that is going out of business,” Trump said. “I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?”

    A reporter responded that Trump officials were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive material and when Trump questioned “having to do with what?” the reporter said, “the Houthis.” Trump replied, “You mean the attack on the Houthis?”

    “Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” Trump added.

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