Donald Trump’s national security team has been caught out, branding Europe “pathetic” and “freeloaders” in a leaked group chat.
In an embarrassing blunder, a journalist was accidentally added to a private conversation between senior members of Trump’s cabinet on the encrypted messaging app Signal. This gave him front-row access to discussions about US airstrikes on Yemen, including specific details on weapons, targets, and timings.
The airstrikes, carried out on 15 March, were aimed at deterring Houthi rebels, who have been attacking commercial ships linked to Israel’s allies in the Red Sea. Over 50 people died in the strikes.
🇪🇺 JD Vance: ‘I just hate bailing Europe out again’
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, later exposed the leaked messages in a bombshell report.
One of the most shocking exchanges involved vice president JD Vance and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
“If you think we should do it, let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again,” Vance wrote.
Hegseth didn’t hold back either. “VP: I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It’s PATHETIC,” he replied. “But Mike [Waltz] is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this.”
Despite never publicly criticising Trump before, Vance seemed uneasy about the airstrikes. “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now,” he wrote. He also warned the attack could trigger a spike in oil prices.
📲 The Blunder That Leaked It All
It turns out national security adviser Mike Waltz was the one who accidentally invited Goldberg into the chat. Signal isn’t even an approved platform for discussing sensitive government matters, making this slip-up even more humiliating.
The White House scrambled to contain the fallout. A National Security Council spokesperson, Brian Hughes, admitted: “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added.”
🗣️ Trump Responds in Classic Trump Fashion
Trump, unsurprisingly, distanced himself from the fiasco. “I don’t know anything about it,” he claimed before taking a swipe at The Atlantic, insisting the publication is “going out of business.”
Meanwhile, Hegseth tried to downplay the chaos. “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he told reporters.
That might not be enough to make this scandal disappear.
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