Photo: The Canadian Press

FILE - Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside of the Department of Health and Human Services, Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Top national security officials for President Donald Trump texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a story published Monday. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.”

The material in the text chain “contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” Goldberg reported.

It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. 

Trump was asked about The Atlantic story by reporters as he met with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Louisiana’s Gov. Jeff Landry at the White House.

The president said he knew “nothing” about it.

“I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of the Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business. It’s not much of a magazine but I know nothing about it,” Trump said.

Trump then asked a reporter for more information about the general details of the story, and after being told the chat involved discussion of the strikes on the Houthis, he said, “Well, it couldn’t have been very effective because the attack was very effective. I can tell you that.”

Top House and Senate lawmakers react to report in The Atlantic

— “If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement. He said American lives are “on the line. The carelessness shown by President Trump’s cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”

— Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement he was “horrified” by the reports. Himes said if a lower-ranking official “did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation. The American people deserve answers,” which he said he planned to get at Wednesday’s previously scheduled committee hearing.

— Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Pete Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”Duckworth said, “Hegseth and Trump are making our country less safe.”