Donald Trump’s team’s top secret war plans about attacking Houthi rebels in Yemen were accidentally revealed to a journalist who was added to a Signal chat – here they are in full
Leaked Signal group chat texts detailing military strikes against Houthi rebels after a journalist was mistakenly added lay bare the scale of Donald Trump’s embarrassing security breach. The minute-by-minute revealed how members of Mr Trump’s administration brazenly discussed sensitive military operations in Yemen.
But unbeknownst to senior officials was the fact that, somehow, The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added into the chat. The White House and members of the chat, which included Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, have repeatedly said the chat did not contain classified information. It has now emerged Mr Hegseth messaged timings of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, although he did not state exactly where attacks would be carried out.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt branded the revelations a “hoax”, although the veracity of the messages has not been contested officially. Mr Trump has defended members of his administration while Democrats grilled some of those who were in the chat, with Senator for New Jersey Andy Kim going one step further and calling for Mr Hegseth’s resignation.
Here is the full minute-by-minute list of Signalgate messages that have thrown the White House into chaos…
4:28pm, March 13 – Waltz briefs chat on Houthi strikes
“Team – establishing a principles 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 (Situation Room) this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening. Pls provide the best staff POC (points of contact) from your team for us to coordinate over the next couple of days and over the weekend. Thx.”
4:29pm – Members respond with their points of contact
“Mike Needham for State,” said the account MAR. Mr Vance commented: “Andy Baker for VP.”
United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said at 4:30pm: “Joe Kent for DNI.” Scott B posted at 4:39pm: “Dan Katz for Treasury.” While Mr Hegset wrote at 4:53pm: “Dan Caldwell for DoD.” Brian said at 6:34pm: “Brian McCormack for NSC.”
8:05pm, March 14 – Waltz shares further admin ahead of strikes
“Team, you should have a statement of conclusions with taskings per the Presidents guidance this morning in your high side inboxes. State and DOD, we developed suggested notification lists for regional Allies and partners. Joint staff is sending this am a more specific sequence of events in the coming days and we will work w DOD to ensure COS, OVP and POTUS are briefed.”
8:16am – Vance shares doubts
“Team, I am out for the day doing an economic event in Michigan,” he said. “But I think we are making a mistake. 3 per cent of US trade runs through the Suez. 40 per cent of European trade does.
“There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message. But I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now. There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices.
“I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on thy this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.”
Joe Kent responded at 8:22am: “There is nothing time sensitive driving the time line. We’ll have the exact same options in a month. The Isralis will likely take strikes and therefore ask us for more support to replenish whatever they use against the Houthis. But that’s a minor factor. I will send you the unclass data pulled on BAM shipping.”
John Ratcliffe added at 8:26am: “From CIA perspective, we are mobilizing assets to support now but a delay would not negatively impact us and additional time would be used to identify better starting points for coverage on Houthi leadership.”
8:27am – Group shares loathing for European leaders
Mr Hegseth said: “VP – I understand your concerns – and fully support you raising w/Potus. Important considerations, most of which are tough to know how they play out (economy, Ukraine peace, Gaza, etc). I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what – nobody knows who the Houthis are – which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.
“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. We can manage both. 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) Re-establish deterrence, which Biden cratered. But, we can easily pause. And if we do, I will do all we can to enforce 100 per cent OPSEC. I welcome other thoughts.”
At 8:32am Mr Waltz posted: “The trade figures we have are 15 per cent of global and 30 per cent of container. It’s difficult to break that down to US. Specific because much of the container either going through the Red Sea still or around the Cape of Good Hope our components going to Europe that turns into manufactured goods for transatlantic trade to the United States.
“Whether we pull the plug or not today European navies do not have the capability to defend against the types of sophisticated, antiship, cruise missiles, and drones the Houthis are now using. So, whether it’s now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes. per the president’s request we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans.”
Mr Waltz said at 8:42am: “As we stated in the in the first PC we have a fundamental decision of allowing the sea lanes to remain closed or to re-open them now or later, we are the only ones with the capability unfortunately. From a messaging standpoint we absolutely ad this to of horribles on why the Europeans must invest in their defense.”
“@PeteHegseth if you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again,” Mr Vance said at 8:45am. “Let’s just make sure our messaging is tight here. And if there are things we can do upfront to minimize risk to Saudi oil facilities we should do it.”
Mr Hegseth responded at 8:49am: “VP – I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s pathetic. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”
The account SM responded at 9:35am: “As I heard it, the president was clear: green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return. We also need to figure out how to enforce such a requirement. RG, if Europe doesn’t remunerate, then what? Id the US successfully restores freedom of navigation at great cost there needs to be some further economic gain extracted in return.”
“Agree,” Mr Hegseth said 11 minutes later.
11:44am, March 15 – Details of strikes revealed
Mr Hegseth shared a “team update” at 11:44am, adding: “Weather is favourable. Just confirmed w/CENTCOM we are a go for mission launch. 1215 et (Eastern Time): F-18s launch (1st strike package). 13:45: ‘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).
“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-18s 2nd strike starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched. More to follow (per timeline). We are currently clean on OPSEC Godspeed to our warriors.”
12:13pm – Vance’s prayer
The Vice President said: “I will say a prayer for victory.” Two others in the group then replied to the message with prayer emojis.
Mr Waltz then set messages to disappear in four weeks’ time. He responded 17 minutes after Mr Goldberg last saw the group: “VP/ Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID. Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job.”
12 minutes after Mr Goldberg last saw the group, Mr Vance responded: “What?”
Mr Waltz responded 5 minutes after Mr Goldberg last checked the group: “Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had a positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.” Mr Vance replied: “Excellent.” Mr Waltz then responded with fist, US Flag and fire emojis.
5:14pm – Group praises strikes
The account MAR posted: “Good job Pete and your team!!” Mr Waltz posted a minute later: “The team in MAL did a great job as well.”
Account SM said at 5:18pm: “Great work all. Powerful start.” Mr Hegseth said two minutes later: “CENTCOM was/is on point. Great job all. More strikes ongoing for hours tonight, and will provide full initial report tomorrow. But on time, on target, and good readouts so far.”
Susie Wiles said at 5:21pm: “Kudos to all – mostly particularly those in theatre and CENTCOM. Really great. God bless.” Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff then shared prayer, flexed bicep and American flags emojis at 5:47pm. Gabbard posted: “Great work and effects.”
