Trump defends advisor after journalist accidentally added to Yemen strike chat

(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly defended his national security advisor, Mike Waltz, after a significant security lapse resulted in a journalist being accidentally added to a sensitive group chat discussing planned strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump, in an interview with a news agency, downplayed the incident, stating that Waltz "has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man," and referred to the error as "the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one."

The controversy stems from a report by The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, who revealed he was mistakenly added to a Signal messaging group containing senior U.S. officials on March 13. Goldberg stated he received a connection request from an account bearing Waltz's name two days prior, subsequently finding himself in a group alongside accounts attributed to Waltz, former Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Stephen Miller, a top aide to Trump.

In a striking revelation, Jeffrey Goldberg disclosed that he was mistakenly included in a Signal group chat with senior US officials on March 13, just days after receiving a connection request from an account using the name of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

According to Goldberg’s report, the group comprised accounts bearing the names of top national security figures, including Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Stephen Miller, a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump. The incident exposed highly sensitive discussions regarding military operations, raising concerns over communication security at the highest levels of government.

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