House Republican calls for 'safeguards' after war plan text chat
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler (N.Y.) called for “safeguards” to be implemented to ensure the leaking of war plans doesn’t happen again after a journalist was included in a Signal group chat discussing them.
“Classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels — and certainly not to those without security clearances, including reporters. Period,” Lawler said Monday in a post on the social platform X.
“Safeguards must be put into place to ensure this never happens again,” he added.
The Pentagon has received widespread backlash Monday after Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, revealed he was added to a group chat on Signal earlier this month in which Trump administration officials debated and discussed details of the U.S. conducting attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The group reportedly included national security adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Goldberg wrote in The Atlantic that Waltz connected with him on Signal on March 11, and he was invited to join a group chat called “Houthi PC small group” two days later.
Hegseth reportedly sent details of the attack on the Houthis, which began March 15, to the group hours before the attack began, including weapons used, timing and targets.
The U.S. launched the strikes in response to attacks from the Iranian-backed militant group on military and civilian ships in the area.
National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes confirmed the messages in the chat appear to be “authentic,” adding that the success of the attack on the Houthis shows there were no threats to U.S. troops or national security.
Democrats have been quick to slam Hegseth, accusing him of incompetence and questioning how a reporter was able to be included in the chat without anyone knowing.
Lawler, a more moderate member of the House GOP, has been among the Republicans more willing to break with the administration in certain instances.
Topics
-
Outrage in Washington after journalist included in war plans group chat
Presented by Boeing {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Outrage after journalist included in officials' war plans group chat All Washington could talk ...The Hill - 23h -
White House inadvertently texted top-secret Yemen war plans to journalist
In extraordinary blunder top Trump cabinet members added Atlantic editor to chat discussing strikes on Houthis. Outrage after White House accidentally texts journalist war plans: ‘Huge ...The Guardian - 16h -
Hegseth says ‘nobody was texting war plans’ after chat emerges
Top officials reportedly discussed secret U.S. military plans in a group chat with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic who was inadvertently added. Secretary of State Pete Hegseth says ...NBC News - 11h -
White House will make sure Signal group chat incident never happens again, says top GOP lawmaker
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) joined Meet the Press NOW to discuss the group chat in which members of the Trump administration discussed plans to launch airstrikes against Houthi ...NBC News - 2h -
Former Obama DOJ official calls for FBI investigation into war plans text chat
Former Obama Justice Department official Matthew Miller called for an FBI investigation after The Atlantic’s bombshell report that its editor was included in a group chat of Trump administration ...The Hill - 1d -
Clinton World takes victory lap after Trump war plans group chat
When the news broke on Monday that a group of top Trump administration officials had convened a text chat to discuss classified information including war plans, those who worked for Hillary Clinton ...The Hill - 44m -
Hegseth says 'nobody was texting war plans' after group chat breach
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Monday that “nobody was texting war plans” following news breaking that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, gained access to a ...The Hill - 23h -
Atlantic journalist says Trump officials included him in war plans group chat
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic, was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks ...The Hill - 1d -
White House pushes back at war plans group chat story
The White House on Tuesday sought to downplay the significance of a journalist being added to a group chat of administration officials discussing plans for attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen. ...The Hill - 9h
More from The Hill
-
Senate confirms Trump's nominee to run NIH
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the next leader of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya was confirmed on a party line vote, 53 to 47. ...The Hill - 14m -
Senate confirms Trump's nominee to run NIH
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the next leader of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya was confirmed on a party line vote, 53 to 47. ...The Hill - 14m -
Trump takes aim at Fed
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump eyes Fed as tariffs, inflation collide President Trump is zeroing in on the ...The Hill - 17m -
Trump takes aim at Fed
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump eyes Fed as tariffs, inflation collide President Trump is zeroing in on the ...The Hill - 17m -
Schiff, Ricketts introduce bill targeting group they say was involved in Oct. 7 attack
Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced a bill on Tuesday targeting a group they said was involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel for sanctions. The Accountability ...The Hill - 22m
More in Politics
-
Senate confirms Trump's nominee to run NIH
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the next leader of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya was confirmed on a party line vote, 53 to 47. ...The Hill - 14m -
Senate confirms Trump's nominee to run NIH
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the next leader of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya was confirmed on a party line vote, 53 to 47. ...The Hill - 14m -
Trump takes aim at Fed
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump eyes Fed as tariffs, inflation collide President Trump is zeroing in on the ...The Hill - 17m -
Trump takes aim at Fed
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump eyes Fed as tariffs, inflation collide President Trump is zeroing in on the ...The Hill - 17m -
Schiff, Ricketts introduce bill targeting group they say was involved in Oct. 7 attack
Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced a bill on Tuesday targeting a group they said was involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel for sanctions. The Accountability ...The Hill - 22m