A bombshell report revealing that top national security officials under President Donald Trump discussed war plans in a private group chat, which inadvertently included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, has sparked intense criticism. Democrats and media commentators frame it as a security scandal; however, Republicans largely dismiss it. The group chat, as reported by journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, involved top officials discussing operational details of strikes on the Houthis in Yemen. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has denied these allegations, calling Goldberg a “deceitful and highly-discredited ‘so-called journalist,'” but the National Security Council confirmed some authenticity of the messages, stating they are reviewing how an unauthorized number was added to the discussion.

In response to the report, Trump expressed ignorance about the incident, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump maintains confidence in his national security team. This incident has reignited the debate over national security and communication protocols, with calls for resignations and firings from Democrats, contrasting with the more moderate reactions from Republicans. The incident has also prompted discussions on the necessity of more robust security measures within the administration. The Department of Defense is now investigating leaks of sensitive information, underscoring the severity of the breach.

Source: https://time.com/7271378/republicans-reactions-democrats-resignations-waltz-hegseth-atlantic-group-chat-leak/