The US security breach raised concern and questions on Tuesday as messages were leaked off app Signal after Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief, was added to a group chat
The US’s national security adviser has taken “full responsibility” for the astonishing US war texts breach.
But Donald Trump has defended Mike Waltz, whom he picked for the role for his second term, despite the blunder, which has led to concern and questions about US security. Mr Waltz appeared to have mistakenly added the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a chat that included 18 senior administration officials discussing planning for the strike.
This led to the leak of messages, which laid bare the level of the contempt some of Mr Trump’s key cabinet members feel for their “free-loading” European allies. One message read: “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.”
Now, Mr Waltz, 51, has said he has taken “full responsibility” for the episode. The former Army Special Forces officer, from Florida, added: “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward.”
Although earlier reports today claimed Mr Trump is “on the rampage” following the blunder, the world leader has downplayed the debacle in public. In an interview with NBC News, the Republican incredibly described it as “the only glitch in two months” of his administration.
Defending his colleague, the President added: “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” Yet, Mr Trump even had the gall to imply one of Mr Waltz’s aides was actually guilty of the error. The world leader, 78, continued: “It was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there.”
The use of messaging app Signal to discuss a sensitive operation has opened the administration to blistering criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who expressed outrage at the White House’s and senior administration officials’ insistence that no classified information was shared. Senior administration officials have struggled to explain why the publicly available app was used to discuss such a delicate matter.
And Mr Trump conceded he is now looking to use a different tool instead. The President said: “We won’t be using it very much… That’s one of the prices you pay when you’re not sitting in the Situation Room with no phones on, which is always the best, frankly. If it was up to me everybody would be sitting in a room together. The room would have solid lead walls and a lead ceiling and lead floor.”
An aide spoke to a British journalist on the phone on Tuesday in the wake of the alarming scandal. Yet, during the very brief call, the aide was only able to tell Andrew Neil: “The President is on the rampage. It’s not safe to talk. I’m keeping my head down.”
