Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is addressing the most recent scandal from President Donald Trump’s administration, which noticed prime brass use a third-party messaging app to coordinate delicate navy strikes in Yemen — with a journalist added to the group chat.
Johnson was asked Monday whether or not he was involved about “labeled struggle plans” going public and mentioned “the administration is addressing what occurred” earlier than arguing the messages confirmed nothing however professionalism.
“What you probably did see although, I feel, was top-level officers doing their job, doing it nicely and executing on a plan with precision,” Johnson told reporters. “That mission was successful. Nobody was jeopardized due to it. We’re grateful for that.”
He continued, “However they are going to definitely, I’m positive, guarantee that that doesn’t occur [again].”
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported Monday he was inadvertently added to a gaggle chat that included nationwide safety adviser Michael Waltz, Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Ex-Deputy White Home Cupboard Secretary Dan Koh reacted bluntly on X, previously Twitter.
“This wasn’t a gaggle chat of besties deciding what Sweetgreen to order,” he wrote Monday. “American lives have been on the road — and so they knew it. The message this sends to our navy from our most senior officers in all of presidency is unfathomable.”
Goldberg shared excerpted screenshots from the encrypted Sign chat group, which was known as “Houthi PC small group” and had members discussing “details about targets” and “weapons the U.S. can be deploying” towards the Yemeni group of rebels.
Hegseth has since denied the messages have been struggle plans, regardless of the Nationwide Safety Council confirming in a press release Monday that they have been genuine, “deep and considerate coverage coordination between senior officers.” Democrats have since shared dire concern.
“There isn’t a world wherein this info ought to have been shared in non-secure channels,” wrote Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) on X. “Hegseth is in to this point over his head that he’s a hazard to this nation and our women and men in uniform.”
Goldberg wrote Monday that he was added to the group chat on March 11, and that issues bought “actually weird” on March 15 — when Hegseth shared “exact details about weapons packages, targets, and timing” of U.S. strikes in Yemen that occurred hours later.
Johnson and his seemingly blasé response have since been torched on social media.
