Government Leaks: A Security Breach of Unprecedented Proportions

Journalists have always sought to uncover the inner workings of the federal government, but few could have imagined that the head of the U.S. Armed Services would be the source of a major leak. However, this is exactly what appears to have happened when U.S. Secretary of Defense and former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth allegedly texted detailed operational war plans to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg.

The Accidental Leak

Goldberg has detailed in a new piece how he was inadvertently added to a message group on Signal by someone in the Trump White House. The message thread included prominent members of the Trump cabinet, such as Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others. The chat involved discussions of upcoming strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, a key enemy of the United States and Israel in the Middle East. Goldberg describes the scene:

The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen.

I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.

A Breach of Security

Goldberg’s story does not include the specifics of the operational plans, but it does include screenshots of the text message thread, including emojis sent by high-level White House officials. The officials debated the timing of the attacks, with Vance raising potential objections to the strike. Hegseth allegedly responded:

Waiting a few weeks or a month does not fundamentally change the calculus. 2 immediate risks on waiting: 1) this leaks, and we look indecisive; 2) Israel takes an action first – or Gaza cease fire falls apart – and we don’t get to start this on our own terms.

The alleged texts also include Hegseth’s promise to enforce "100% operational security" for the war strategy, despite texting the plans to an unintended recipient. Hegseth allegedly wrote:

We are prepared to execute, and if I had final go or no go vote, I believe we should. This [is] not about the Houthis. I see it as two things: 1) Restoring Freedom of Navigation, a core national interest; and 2) Reestablish deterrence, which Biden cratered. But, we can easily pause. And if we do, I will do all we can to enforce 100% OPSEC…I welcome other thoughts.

Questionable Legality

The White House has confirmed that the message thread is authentic and is reviewing how Goldberg was added to the chain. However, the spokesperson failed to note the potential illegality of the text chain itself. According to national security lawyers, coordinating a national-security-related action over Signal may have violated several provisions of the Espionage Act. The Signal app is not approved by the government for sharing classified information.

Conclusion

This scandal may be one of the first to befall the new Trump White House, but it is unlikely to be the last. The breach of security and potential illegality of the text chain are serious concerns that raise questions about the administration’s handling of national security information. As Goldberg notes, this whole scenario could have been deeply illegal, and it is not great for American national security either.