Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
The Atlantic Releases Entire Signal Chat Showing Hegseth's Attack Plans Against Houthis
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 months ago on
March 26, 2025

The Atlantic's release of a Signal chat reveals Defense Secretary Hegseth's detailed attack plans against Houthis, sparking controversy. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Share

WASHINGTON — The Atlantic on Wednesday released the entire Signal chat among senior national security officials, showing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women flying those attacks against Yemen’s Houthis this month on behalf of the United States were airborne.

The disclosure follows two intense days during which leaders of President Donald Trump’s intelligence and defense agencies have struggled to explain how details that current and former U.S. officials have said would have been classified wound up on an unclassified Signal chat that included Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg,

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said no classified information was posted to the Signal chat.

Top Military Official Was Not Included in the Chat

The chat was also notable for who it excluded: the only military attendee of the principals committee, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Adm. Christopher Grady is currently serving in that position in an acting capacity because Trump fired former chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr. in February.

National security adviser Mike Waltz was authorized to decide whether to include the Joint Chiefs chairman in the principals committee discussion, “based on the policy relevance of attendees to the issues being considered, the need for secrecy on sensitive matters, staffing needs, and other considerations,” the White House said in a Jan. 20 memo.

The Pentagon said it would not comment on the issue, and it was not immediately clear why Grady, currently serving as the president’s top military adviser, would not be included in a discussion on military strikes.

Hegseth has refused to say whether he posted classified information onto Signal. He is traveling in the Indo-Pacific and to date has only scoffed at questions, saying he did not reveal “war plans.” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that it was up to Hegseth to determine whether the information he was posting was classified or not.

Very Specific Texts Were Revealed

What was revealed was jaw-dropping in its specificity and includes the type of information that is kept to a very close hold to protect the operational security of a military strike.

In the group chat, Hegseth posted multiple details about the impending strike, using military language and laying out when a “strike window” starts, where a “target terrorist” was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was “currently clean” on operational security.”

“Godspeed to our Warriors,” he wrote.

“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”

“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”

“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”

“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”

“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”

“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”

“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — that is, operational security.

“Godspeed to our Warriors.”

Goldberg has said he asked the White House if it opposed publication and that the White House responded that it would prefer he did not publish.

Signal Is Encrypted but Can Be Vulnerable

Signal is a publicly available app that provides encrypted communications, but it can be hacked. It is not approved for carrying classified information. On March 14, one day before the strikes, the Defense Department cautioned personnel about the vulnerability of Signal, specifically that Russia was attempting to hack the app, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

One known vulnerability is that a malicious actor, with access to a person’s phone, can link his or her device to the user’s Signal and essentially monitor messages remotely in real time.

Leavitt is one of three Trump administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

DON'T MISS

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

DON'T MISS

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

DON'T MISS

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

DON'T MISS

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

DON'T MISS

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

DON'T MISS

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

DON'T MISS

California School Awards Dinner at Disneyland Comes With Hefty Price Tag

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

UP NEXT

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

UP NEXT

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

UP NEXT

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

UP NEXT

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

UP NEXT

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

UP NEXT

California School Awards Dinner at Disneyland Comes With Hefty Price Tag

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting

UP NEXT

Hamas Says It Is Still Reviewing a US Proposal for a Gaza Ceasefire

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

3 hours ago

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

4 hours ago

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

4 hours ago

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

4 hours ago

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

5 hours ago

California School Awards Dinner at Disneyland Comes With Hefty Price Tag

6 hours ago

Fresno Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting

6 hours ago

Hamas Says It Is Still Reviewing a US Proposal for a Gaza Ceasefire

6 hours ago

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

7 hours ago

Oreo Maker Mondelez Sues Aldi, Alleging Grocery Chain Copies Its Packaging to Confuse Customers

7 hours ago

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating family members of a Fresno man who died last month. F...

1 hour ago

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is seeking the public’s help to locate the family of Felipe Pech, 68, of Fresno, who died on April 23, 2025. (Fresno County SO)
1 hour ago

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

Felecia Johnson is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for May 30, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

3 hours ago

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

3 hours ago

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

4 hours ago

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

4 hours ago

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

4 hours ago

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

5 hours ago

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend