March 26 (UPI) — The Atlantic published a social media conversation Wednesday in which U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth allegedly included classified information in regard to upcoming military strikes, which several members of the Trump administration have criticized.
The texts, as published, show Hegsethmentioned attack times, what times mission aircraft launched to attack, what type of aircraft would be involved, as The Atlantic described as “31 minutes before the first U.S. warplanes launched, and two hours and one minute before the beginning of a period in which a primary target, the Houthi ‘Target Terrorist,’ was expected to be killed by these American aircraft.”
“If this text had been received by someone hostile to American interests-or someone merely indiscreet, and with access to social media-the Houthis would have had time to prepare for what was meant to be a surprise attack on their strongholds. The consequences for American pilots could have been catastrophic,” The Atlanitc said.
The texts also reportedly reveal a moment in the conversation in which Waltz responded to the efficacy of the attack with a trio of emojis.
The Atlantic stated it had chosen to reveal the texts in part because “numerous administration officials that we are lying about the content of the Signal texts.”
It also claimed to have decided to post the texts because it feels “there is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisors included in nonsecure communications channels” because of how the Trump administration has publicly described the situation.
Waltz responded on X Wednesday that the conversation transcript held “No locations. No sources [and] methods. No war plans,” and that “foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent.”
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell wrote Wednesday that the conversation held “No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. No classified information.”
Vice President JD Vance posted Wednesday that “Goldberg oversold what he had.”
“This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted Wednesday.
