This incident comes amid a significant security breach involving the Trump administration. President Donald Trump responded to The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who revealed that he was inadvertently added to a group chat with senior Cabinet officials discussing airstrikes on Houthi terrorists in Yemen. Goldberg connected with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on Signal and was unexpectedly included in a chat titled “Houthi PC small group.”

In this chat, officials, including Vice President Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, debated the merits of striking the Houthis due to disruptions in shipping channels in the Middle East. Trump, when questioned about the incident, claimed he was unaware of it and expressed his disdain for The Atlantic, stating, “To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business.”

The leaked messages showed Vance expressing concerns about aiding Europe without guarantees of return, particularly since the Houthi attacks primarily affected European trade routes. He noted, “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now,” and suggested delaying action to better communicate the importance of the situation.

Hegseth supported Vance’s concerns but emphasized the need for a decisive response to avoid appearing indecisive. Waltz added that the U.S. would need to take action to reopen shipping lanes, and Vance ultimately indicated his willingness to support the consensus if the team believed action was necessary.

This situation highlights the complexities and challenges facing the Trump administration as it navigates both domestic and international issues, alongside the growing prevalence of misinformation through AI-generated content.