No ‘classified information’ in Signal chat, Trump says

WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns that officials inadvertently included a journalist in a group chat discussing war plans on the messaging platform Signal, saying there “was no classified information” shared in the group.

The Signal group, called the "Houthi PC small group," reportedly included high-ranking officials such as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, said in a bombshell report Monday that he had been mistakenly added to the “Houthi PC small group” chat on March 13 after receiving a connection request from an account bearing US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz's name two days prior.

At a White House meeting on Tuesday, Trump expressed confidence in his national security team, saying: “Our national security now is stronger than it’s ever been.”

Trump advisor Waltz takes 'full responsibility' for Signal chat leak

Waltz said Tuesday that he takes "full responsibility" for the inclusion of a journalist in a private Signal chat group where senior Trump administration officials discussed a planned military strike in Yemen.

"I take full responsibility. I built the group," Waltz told Fox News. "It's embarrassing. We're going to get to the bottom of it."

Waltz strongly criticized Goldberg, labeling him the "bottom scum of journalists" and denying any personal connection to him.

"I don't know this guy. I know him by his horrible reputation," he said, questioning how Goldberg’s number ended up in the group.

Trump dismissed concerns over the breach, telling reporters at the White House on Monday: "I don’t know anything about it," while defending Waltz. "He’s not getting fired," Trump said, calling the incident a "mistake."

Democrats, however, have called for accountability, with Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner condemning the leak as "sloppy, careless, and incompetent."