Most Americans believe it’s a major problem that an Atlantic editor was included in a private chat where top Trump administration officials discussed military plans, according to a new poll. However, former President Trump has tried to downplay the situation.
Key Facts
- A YouGov poll found that 53% of Americans believe it is a “very serious” issue that Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, was in a group chat where military officials discussed an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Another 21% said it was “somewhat serious.”
- People from both major political parties agree that the situation is concerning:
- 89% of Democrats
- 72% of Independents
- 60% of Republicans
- 48% of Americans believe Trump officials broke the law by sharing military plans. This includes:
- 76% of Democrats
- 46% of Independents
- 21% of Republicans
- National Security Adviser Mike Waltz added Goldberg to a Signal group chat where officials were discussing a planned attack on March 15. The Atlantic published screenshots of these messages on Wednesday, showing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealing details of the attack’s timing.
- Trump dismissed the situation as “not a big deal” and defended Waltz, even as some officials considered firing him.
Interesting Fact
More Americans see this leak as a bigger issue than Hillary Clinton’s private email server scandal. In a 2022 YouGov poll, 62% of Americans said Clinton’s email use was a serious problem.
Background
Screenshots from the chat show Hegseth sharing specific details of the planned attacks just minutes before they happened. Waltz admitted to adding Goldberg to the chat but claimed it was an accident. He later suggested that Goldberg may have deliberately joined the group. Trump, however, said it might have been a mistake by a staff member.
Ongoing Debate
The White House says no classified information was shared in the chat. But some Republican lawmakers and former defense officials disagree, saying the information should have been classified.
Meanwhile, the watchdog group American Oversight sued several top Trump officials, including Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The lawsuit claims they violated federal laws by using an app that automatically deletes messages.
