The Atlantic magazine has published new messages from the Houthi strike chat between key Trump officials that its editor-in-chief was mistakenly added to. Follow the latest here – and listen to the Trump 100 podcast as you scroll.
Wednesday 26 March 2025 18:24, UK
Just to catch up on a bit of news from the Intelligence Committee earlier today.
Democrats speaking to members of the Intelligence Committee spent their allocated time trying to pin down some of Trump’s most senior officials.
They pushed them on whether the chat was classified and repeatedly called for Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, to go.
Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut tried to highlight what he said was the potential human cost of the security breach.
„I think that it’s by the awesome grace of God that we are not mourning dead pilots right now,“ he said.
„Everyone here knows that the Russians and the Chinese could have gotten all of that information,“ Himes added.
Others argued that had the Houthis gotten a hold of the information, it would have let the group ready itself for the attacks.
The Intelligence Committee session has ended for now.
JD Vance spoke earlier this evening.
He avoided the security breach in a speech given at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
After turning up two hours late, he thanked the soldiers for their service.
JD Vance has done speaking now.
He was the first of Trump’s team to entirely avoid the topic of the security breach.
But for those who have spoken about it, something of a strategy has emerged from the White House and its outriders today.
In the face of a second story from The Atlantic, a number of the Trump administration’s most senior have responded punchily.
Simultaneously, a previously planned Intelligence Committee hearing in Congress saw the likes of Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel questioned.
In both, there were echoes of a seemingly coherent White House response that was used repeatedly.
What’s in a war plan?
One key strand of the response coming from the Oval Office revolves over claims no war plans were discussed in the group chat.
Thanks to The Atlantic, we do know what was discussed in it – see our 14.33 post.
Specifics on timings and weapons systems were sent.
The White House seems to be trying to argue that the information in the chat does not qualify as a war plan.
This is typified in the response of Steven Cheung below.
Sources, methods and locations
The second strand revolves around a phrase repeated a number of times across Washington this evening.
Mike Waltz and Gabbard both repeated the phrase that „no sources, methods or locations“ – or those three words in some order – were shared in the Signal group.
It was something also said by a Republican asking questions during the Intelligence Committee.
Finally, press secretary Karoline Leavitt also repeated this during a press briefing this evening.
The White House seems to have picked its battle on what was and wasn’t said in the group.
Timings most definitely were said in the Signal chat.
As were specifics on weapons systems.
But it’s picked its second battle to focus on what it says wasn’t in there.
Watch live as US vice president JD Vance visits Marine Corps Base Quantico.
The vice president is expected to deliver remarks which could touch on the security breach that has dominated US news this week.
Watch live in the stream at the top of the page – and we’ll bring you the latest here too.
Asked on who was looking into the security breach, Karoline Leavitt said Elon Musk’s team would be helping out as well.
She said: „The National Security council, the White House council office and also yes, Elon Musk’s team [will look into it].
„Elon has offered to put his technical experts on this to figure out how this number was added to the chat to take responsibility and ensure this never happens again.“
The White House press briefing has ended now, lasting about 20 minutes – shorter than usual.
For context:
Trump officials have repeatedly avoided committing to an official investigation.
They’ve instead said that it is being looked into.
But it isn’t clear if there would be repercussions or the publication of any findings from such an inquiry.
The US government has made transparency a key part of its administration in DOGE.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt is now facing questions from reporters.
The second reporter to ask questions raised questions over what is, or isn’t, classified information.
Leavitt doubles down on claiming the chat did not contain any classified information.
„I would characterise this as a policy discussion, a sensitive policy discussion,“ she said instead.
She is pressed by several reporters on how the sharing of the timings of attacks and weapons used could not be defined as classified, she struggles to put together an answer.
In a scattergun attempt to evade the question, she tries to discredit the journalist, lists other types of classified information that wasn’t in the chat, tries to divert attention to the defence secretary’s service in the military, and attacks the previous administration, even going so far as to raise its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Signal is an „approved“ app, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, during the ongoing briefing.
„This is an approved app. This is an encrypted app … this is the most secure and efficient way to communicate,“ she said.
Leavitt added that Donald Trump had placed „great trust“ in his national security team.
For context:
We reported earlier today on much of what was coming out of the Intelligence Committee in Congress.
National Security Agency (NSA) director General Timothy Haugh spoke during it about risks associated with Signal.
Under questioning from Democratic representative Jason Crow, Haugh said an advisory on how to use Signal was sent to NSA employees.
„Because there’s risk to that app?“ Crow asked.
To which Haugh responded: „There are.“
Karoline Leavitt is speaking now in a press briefing.
She has immediately gone on the attack, personally going after The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, as well as the Democrats and what she claimed, without evidence, were its „allies in the media“.
„The mainstream media continues to be focused on a sensationalised story.“
She also detailed specifics of the Houthi attack that she said people should be more focused on.
„Several Houthi leaders were killed,“ Leavitt said.
Even for a punchy spokesperson, Leavitt isn’t holding back, describing the Biden administration as „pathetic“.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is holding a briefing now after the new revelations in Signalgate today.
Watch live in the stream at the top of the page – and we’ll bring you the latest here too.
The encrypted messaging platform Signal has been at the centre of the furore in Washington.
A competitor to the likes of Meta’s WhatsApp, it has found itself a key part of a US national security row.
National Security Agency (NSA) director General Timothy Haugh spoke about risks associated with the platform during the Intelligence Committee hearing earlier today.
Under questioning from Democratic representative Jason Crow, Haugh said an advisory on how to use Signal was sent to NSA employees.
„We put out an advisory on how to use the Signal app and other encrypted applications, because we do encourage our employees and their families to use encrypted apps,“ he said.
„Because there’s risk to that app?“ Crow asked.
To which Haugh responded: „There are.“
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US security breach latest: Defence secretary swears in furious response after more details of breach revealed – Sky News
