The Atlantic publishes full Signal chat as Trump Cabinet mocks at ‘classified war plan leak’

As the Donald Trump Cabinet continued to assert that no classified information was released through the Signal chat group ‘Houthi PC small group’, where journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was ‘accidently’ added, The Atlantic has now released full details of the conversation between the top Trump officials.

The Signal messages reveal that information related to weapons and the precise timing of attacks was discussed in written on the social media app before the attack on Houthis.

The group had 18 members. They identified themselves as senior American officials, including Vice President JD Vance, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

The Atlantic has said that while they do not publish any information about military operations as “they could jeopardise the lives of US personnel”, the downplaying of the security breach “led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions” and that “Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels.”

The contents of the Signal chat

In the group chat, Pete Hegseth posted:

“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”

“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”

“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”

“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”

“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”

“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — that is, operational security.

“Godspeed to our Warriors.”

This followed by a text from JD Vance: “I will say a prayer for victory.”

“At 1:48 p.m., Waltz' text said: “VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID. Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job.”

The Atlantic reports: “Waltz was referring here to Hegseth; General Michael E. Kurilla, the commander of Central Command; and the intelligence community, or IC. The reference to “multiple positive ID” suggests that U.S. intelligence had ascertained the identities of the Houthi target, or targets, using either human or technical assets.”

“Six minutes later, the vice president, apparently confused by Waltz’s message, wrote, ‘What?’”

"At 2 p.m., Waltz responded: “Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.,” according to The Atlantic.

"Vance: Excellent.”

“Hegseth posted: ‘CENTCOM was/is on point.’”

“Great job all. More strikes ongoing for hours tonight, and will provide full initial report tomorrow. But on time, on target, and good readouts so far.”

How Trump officials have reacted?

Donald Trump said it was “the only glitch in two months”.

“Turned out not to be a serious one,” he said, adding, “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he's a good man.”

Discrediting The Atlantic and the ‘war plan leak’, US Vice President JD Vance termed the story as “oversold”.

“It's very clear [Jeffrey] Goldberg oversold what he had,” he said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said no classified information was posted to the Signal chat. Hegseth has refused to say whether he posted classified information onto Signal.

Mike Waltz, who reportedly added Goldberg to the Signal chat, said, “No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS.”

(With agency inputs)