In a shocking security breach March 15, top officials of the United States leaked information regarding bombing Houthi targets in Yemen to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. The Trump administration’s patterns of hypocrisy and lack of accountability were only made more evident by this scandal.
According to Axios, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz added Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat on Signal.
The platform is commonly used by journalists and other officials who seek an additional layer of privacy, but Goldberg thought Waltz’s request was a trap because of how strange it was – especially considering the current relationship between the government and journalists. “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,” Goldberg said.
Then, when the U.S.’s decision to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen was public knowledge, Goldberg realized he had known “precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing,” according to his report.
Goldberg’s report included fascinating but concerning screenshots of the messages that highlight separate issues of the individuals making decisions about bombings. However, Waltz’s reckless behavior in adding Goldberg to the group chat – and the fact that nobody noticed – is a security concern in itself.
Many members of the group chat and the Trump administration criticized Hillary Clinton for her leaked information, making this situation not just a concern of security but also hypocrisy. Hillary Clinton humorously took to X following the breaking news to say, “You have got to be kidding me.”
“It is worth noting that Donald Trump, as a candidate for president (and as president), repeatedly and vociferously demanded that Hillary Clinton be imprisoned for using a private email server for official business when she was secretary of state,“ Goldberg reported. “(It is also worth noting that Trump was indicted in 2023 for mishandling classified documents, but the charges were dropped after his election.)”
This highlights the lack of responsibility the current administration has taken for a range of issues, including security concerns. The situation at hand has proved to be no different. Currently, there are no hints at Waltz being fired or punished for this careless leak – and the National Security Adviser should not be allowed to be careless.
If played out differently, this leak could have had more severe implications, resulting in danger to the U.S. – although Vance leaked this bombing was Trump’s way of proving a point. They must take accountability.
Layne Rey is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
