Trump Officials Face Fallout Over Military Plans Leak

Senior members of the Trump administration are under scrutiny after inadvertently sharing details of planned military strikes in Yemen through an unsecured group chat that mistakenly included a journalist from The Atlantic. The disclosure has triggered national security concerns and political fallout, prompting discussions on the use of encrypted messaging applications by high-ranking officials.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has denied allegations that top officials were “texting war plans,” despite reports that messages within the group chat contained sensitive operational details. The Trump administration has acknowledged the messages were authentic but has not clarified why classified information was discussed outside of secure channels. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Vice President JD Vance were also among those in the chat.

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who was inadvertently included in the discussion, refuted Hegseth’s claims, stating that the messages included specifics about targets, attack timelines, and planned sequences of operations. Some administration officials have expressed shock, with speculation that internal dismissals could follow.

Meanwhile, US-Russia negotiations over the ongoing war in Ukraine continued in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Russian senator Grigory Karasin described the discussions as “useful,” highlighting that the dialogue was detailed and complex. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that both sides were analyzing the outcomes of the talks but did not provide a timeline for future discussions.

A separate round of discussions between US and Ukrainian officials also concluded, with Kyiv’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirming that the meetings took place over the past three days. The US delegation met with both Ukrainian and Russian representatives in an attempt to advance diplomatic efforts.

The fallout from the group chat leak has drawn sharp reactions from lawmakers. Democratic leaders in Congress have called for a bipartisan investigation into the Trump administration’s use of encrypted apps for classified discussions. Republican lawmakers remain divided, with some expressing concern while others have withheld judgment.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, frequently criticized by Republicans for her handling of classified emails, responded to the controversy on X, stating: “You have got to be kidding me.”

The Department of Justice has invoked state secrets privilege in an ongoing legal dispute concerning deportation flights, further intensifying scrutiny over government transparency and classified information handling. A federal judge is set to rule on whether the administration’s actions violated judicial directives.

As the Trump administration grapples with the fallout, intelligence officials are expected to face tough questioning during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, both reported members of the group chat, will likely be pressed on the security breach and its implications.

A joint statement from Washington and Moscow regarding the Ukraine discussions is anticipated later today. The White House has yet to issue an official response to the unfolding controversy.