Washington: President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed concerns over a recent security lapse involving the accidental inclusion of a journalist in a group chat discussing sensitive military operations. He characterized the incident as a minor misstep, calling it “the only glitch in two months” of his presidency.
The controversy arose after The Atlantic reported that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, to a Signal group chat where senior administration officials were discussing plans for a strike against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Trump, speaking to local media, defended Waltz and downplayed the situation. “It turned out not to be a serious one,” he said, reaffirming his confidence in the national security adviser. He suggested that an aide within Waltz’s team was responsible for the error, stating, “It was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there.”
Waltz, for his part, acknowledged the mistake and took responsibility. Speaking to Fox News, he admitted, “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward,” while emphasizing that he had no prior connection with Goldberg and was unsure how the journalist ended up in the chat.
The revelation has sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who argue that discussing such a sensitive matter on a publicly available messaging app raises serious national security concerns. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also weighed in on the issue, mocking the administration’s handling of classified information in a post on X, where she shared The Atlantic article along with a rolling eyes emoji.
The incident has drawn comparisons to past controversies over the handling of government secrets. Before winning the presidency in 2016, Trump had strongly criticized Clinton over her use of a private email server, even calling for her prosecution. Now, his own administration is facing scrutiny for what some see as a similarly careless approach to sensitive information.
