Trump downplays national security team texting military operation plan on Signal as minor 'glitch'

Washington, Mar 26 (AP) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed the texting of sensitive plans for a military strike against Yemen's Houthis this month to a group chat that included a journalist, saying it was “the only glitch in two months” of his administration even as Democratic lawmakers heaped criticism on the administration for handling highly sensitive information carelessly.
    Trump told NBC News that the lapse “turned out not to be a serious one", and expressed his continued support for national security advisor Mike Waltz.
    Waltz, according to an article posted online by The Atlantic on Monday, appeared to have mistakenly added the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a chat that included 18 senior administration officials discussing planning for the strike.
    “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he's a good man," Trump said.
    He also appeared to point blame on an unnamed Waltz aide for Goldberg being added to the chain.
    “It was one of Michael's people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there."
    But the use of messaging app Signal to discuss a sensitive operation has opened the administration to blistering criticism from Democratic lawmakers who expressed outrage at the White House's and senior administration officials' insistence that no classified information was shared.
    Senior administration officials have struggled to explain why the publicly available app was used to discuss such a delicate matter.
    Waltz said on Tuesday he was not sure how Goldberg ended up on the chat.
    "This one in particular, I've never met, don't know, never communicated with,” Waltz said.
    Trump, for his part, continued to attack The Atlantic and Goldberg and sent mixed messages on whether the administration would change how it goes about sharing sensitive information going forward.
    “We won't be using it very much” in the future, Trump said of Signal.
    He added, "That's one of the prices you pay when you're not sitting in the Situation Room with no phones on, which is always the best, frankly."
    One official reported to be on the Signal chain, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, acknowledged during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday that she was travelling overseas during the exchange.
    She wouldn't say whether she was using her personal or government-issued phone because the matter is under review by the White House National Security Council.
    Both Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who also was a participant in the Signal exchange and also testified at Tuesday's intelligence hearing, faced blistering criticism from lawmakers.
    "Director Ratcliffe, this was a huge mistake, correct?” Senator Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, asked.
    After a brief pause, Ratcliffe shook his head.
    “No,” he said.
    Ratcliffe attempted to interject as Ossoff asked a follow-up question, leading the two men to speak over each other.
    “This is an embarrassment,” Ossoff said, silencing Ratcliffe.
    “This is utterly unprofessional. There's been no apology. There has been no recognition of the gravity of this error.”
    In the run-up to his 2016 election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump urged criminal prosecution of the former secretary of state for communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up.
    The matter was investigated, but the FBI ultimately recommended against charges. None were brought.
    Clinton was among Democrats this week to criticise Trump administration officials' use of Signal.
    “You have got to be kidding me,” Clinton said in an X post that spotlighted The Atlantic article and included an eyes emoji.
    Trump also faced charges for mishandling classified information at his Mar-a-Lago resort following his first White House term. Those charges were later dismissed. (AP) ARI

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)