Trump Administration Officials Discussed Classified Military Strategy on Unsecured Messaging App
WASHINGTON — As revelations surfaced that top Trump administration officials had illegally discussed classified war plans on an unsecured messaging app, Republican lawmakers largely downplayed the security breach, deflected blame, and even attempted to justify the dangerous lapse in protocol.
On Monday, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg reported that he had been inadvertently added to a high-level group chat that included the vice president, secretary of defense, national security adviser, secretary of state, and director of national intelligence. The group was reportedly discussing classified details of a planned military strike, exposing an alarming breakdown in national security protocols.
Despite the severity of the breach, Republicans reacted with indifference—a stark contrast to their past outrage over Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.
President Donald Trump sought to downplay the scandal, telling NBC News on Tuesday that Goldberg’s presence in the chat had “no impact at all” on the administration’s military strike against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. He dismissed the incident as a minor misstep, adding that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had “learned a lesson” and would not be asked to resign.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to spin the situation, claiming—without evidence—that no classified material was shared in the group chat.
“Jeffrey Goldberg is well known for his sensationalist spin,” Leavitt wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Here are the facts: 1. No ‘war plans’ were discussed. 2. No classified material was sent to the thread. 3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on secure communication methods for President Trump’s top officials.”
However, Goldberg has receipts. Screenshots of the messages, which national security officials have confirmed as authentic, indicate that detailed military strategy was indeed discussed, including targets, timing, and diplomatic considerations prior to the strike.
Tech Industry Sounds the Alarm
As national security experts condemned the administration’s reckless handling of classified information, Google CEO Sundar Pichai issued a rare rebuke, warning that such lapses undermine global confidence in U.S. cybersecurity standards.
“Government officials using unsecured messaging apps to discuss military operations is a critical security failure,” Pichai said in a statement Tuesday. “This isn’t just about one mistake—it signals a deeper disregard for cybersecurity best practices at the highest levels of government.”
Pichai’s remarks reflect growing concern in Silicon Valley about the Trump administration’s approach to data security, particularly its reliance on insecure platforms prone to foreign surveillance.
“This kind of lapse gives adversaries an open window into national security decision-making,” added Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook. “If a CEO ran a company’s cybersecurity like this, they’d be fired.”
Republicans Shrug Off Breach, Embrace Whataboutism
Despite the national security risks, Republican lawmakers brushed aside concerns, with many refusing to call for consequences.
“Obviously, a mistake was made. But mistakes happen,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters. “This is not going to lead to the apocalypse, okay?”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) dismissed the story as media-driven hysteria, attacking the press instead of addressing the security breach itself.
“This is what the leftist media is reduced to,” Hawley said on Fox News. “So now we’re complaining about who is in a text message? I mean, come on.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson took a different approach, attempting to frame the breach as evidence of the administration’s ‘thoughtful’ approach to foreign policy—a defense that many experts found baffling.
“What you did see, though, I think, was top-level officials doing their job, doing it well, and executing on a plan with precision,” Johnson said in an interview with CNN. “That mission was a success. No one was jeopardized because of it.”
GOP Uses Deflection, ‘Whataboutism’ to Defend Trump Officials
Rather than addressing the security lapse, several Republican lawmakers attempted to shift the conversation by invoking unrelated Democratic controversies.
“A vegetable in the White House sat on his hands while Houthi terrorists attacked U.S. warships 174 times,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) wrote in a post on X, referring to President Biden. “Trump has taken decisive action.”
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who has ties to white nationalist groups, also used deflection to defend the administration.
“Where was the outrage when Biden’s Secretary of Defense disappeared for days without telling anyone?” Gosar wrote, falsely claiming Biden had been ‘asleep at the wheel’ with the nuclear codes.
Some Republicans Acknowledge Serious Security Breach
While most Republicans fell in line with the White House’s spin, a handful acknowledged the severity of the situation.
“The real issue is putting top-secret information on an unclassified device,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a former Air Force intelligence officer. “I will guarantee you—99.99% with confidence—Russia and China are monitoring those phones. This was a serious security violation.”
Despite his harsh words, Bacon refused to call for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s resignation, despite Hegseth reportedly being the one who included war plans in the chat.
“I would have lost my security clearance in the Air Force for this,” Bacon said.
Democrats Demand Accountability
Democratic lawmakers, in contrast, expressed outrage over the security breach and the GOP’s attempts to minimize it.
“If a Democrat had started that group chat, there would be wall-to-wall hearings, people would get fired, careers would end,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is set to grill key officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, in an open hearing on Tuesday.
Republicans Once Slammed Clinton—Now Silent on Trump Officials
In a striking display of hypocrisy, Senate Democrats compiled past statements from Republicans who harshly criticized Hillary Clinton’s private email use—but are now defending Trump officials caught discussing war plans on unsecured devices.
“They shared specific plans to bomb foreign actors—targets, strategy, diplomacy, timing, and munitions—before the strike,” said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) in response to Leavitt’s misleading statement. “If our adversaries had those plans, American soldiers’ lives would have been at risk.”
With Republicans refusing to demand accountability, it remains unclear whether the White House will face any real consequences for its latest national security lapse—or if, once again, the Trump administration will simply brush off the scandal with a shrug.
