White House Spokesperson Leavitt Blasts The Atlantic Over Defense Leak

The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, faced intense questioning during a press briefing regarding the recent leak of sensitive defense communications. The controversy erupted after The Atlantic published what it claimed were details of a planned U.S. military strike against Houthi targets in Yemen. These details were allegedly disclosed through an accidental inclusion of the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, in a Signal group chat involving high-level cabinet officials and defense personnel. Leavitt criticized Goldberg, labeling him as a ‘Trump hater’ and questioned his journalistic integrity. She emphasized that no classified material was shared and described the discussions as policy-related rather than strategic military plans. Amidst the storm, President Trump expressed his intent to address the issue directly. Leavitt reiterated the administration’s stance, asserting that Signal is an approved and secure application used by government officials, including the Department of Defense and CIA. The White House has also shifted blame onto National Security Advisor Mike Waltz for mistakenly adding Goldberg to the chat thread. Furthermore, Leavitt suggested reaching out to Elon Musk to investigate how the journalist was inadvertently added to the Signal conversation. This move aims to ensure such breaches do not recur, amidst ongoing scrutiny over national security protocols.