"Pathetic", "Ask to pay" What the US government really discusses in secret chats

In a signals chat group, senior members of Trump's administration planned a secret military strike - and accidentally recorded a journalist. What was discussed in the chat.

It is a security policy scandal of rare proportions: in a signals chat group, the US government under President Donald Trump apparently planned an airstrike on Houthi positions in Yemen - and forgot that a journalist was reading along. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to the encrypted group chat. "The Trump administration accidentally sent me their war plans," he wrote in a post that caused quite a stir on Monday.

Goldberg had been invited to the chat group by security adviser Michael Waltz on March 11 - just four days before the actual attack on March 15. In addition to Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President J.D. Vance and Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also took part in the discussions. In the group, they openly discussed attack scenarios, technical details, the timetable and political consequences of the military strike.

On March 14, Vance wrote: "Three percent of US trade goes through the Suez Canal, for the Europeans it's 40 percent. I'm not sure the president realizes how inconsistent this is with his current message to Europe." He added: "I just hate to buy the Europeans out again."

"Will say a prayer for victory"

Defense Minister Hegseth responded in agreement: "I share your disgust with European free-riding. It is TERRIBLE." Nevertheless, he said it was up to the US to intervene militarily.

Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, suggested in the chat group that Europe should be asked to pay after a successful attack: "If the United States successfully restores the freedom of trade routes at great cost, then we must take economic advantage of it in return."

On the day of the attack, Hegseth shared a so-called "team update" with the group - including information on the weapons used. Vance commented: "I will say a prayer for victory."

At first, Goldberg thought the group was a hoax or a trap. However, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed its authenticity to the Atlantic: "The conversation demonstrates deep and thoughtful political coordination among top government officials." Hegseth himself played down the matter and denied that "war plans" had been shared.

Sharp reactions

Donald Trump reacted evasively. When asked, he explained: "I don't know anything about it."

Reactions to the incident were sharp. Chuck Schumer, leader of the Democrats in the US Senate, said: "This is a kind of carelessness that gets people killed." Trump's former security adviser John Bolton also expressed his horror: "It's unimaginable that this could even happen." He recalled how hard Trump and the Republicans had once attacked Hillary Clinton over her private email use: "I have no confidence that this Department of Justice will investigate."

Whether the affair will have consequences for Trump's administration remains to be seen. The President has staffed both the Department of Justice and the FBI with confidants. It is unlikely that they will investigate Waltz or Hegseth - unless the scandal becomes politically dangerous for Trump himself.