White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday refrained from categorising the chat information as classified, instead describing it as “a sensitive policy discussion.”
When questioned about possible terminations following the accidental inclusion of a journalist in a Signal thread discussing military plans with senior US officials, Leavitt said, “What I can say definitively is what I just spoke to the president about, and he continues to have confidence in his national security team.”
During the press briefing, the press secretary labelled Goldberg as an “anti-Trump hater” and accused media “propagandists” of promoting a “Signal hoax”. She said that the focus should be on the “overwhelming success of decisive military action against Houthi terrorists“.
Her statements follow “Signalgate,” controversy where national security adviser Mike Waltz mistakenly added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a chat group, where US defence secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive details, including specific timetables and unit information before a US operation in Yemen.
Goldberg published the information after the Trump administration disputed his claims about the sharing of classified information. The Atlantic detailed the chat messages, including specific launch times and operational details.
Also read: Atlantic releases full leaked Signal chat of Trump officials sharing strike details. Check complete text
President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected the allegations regarding the leaked chat terming it a “witch hunt.”
Hegseth, currently on a trip through the Indo-Pacific, has rejected questions about the controversy, insisting he did not reveal war plans. Director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe informed the Senate intelligence committee that the decision to classify the information rested with Hegseth.
