Donald Trump’s national security team called Europe “pathetic” and “freeloaders” in their explosive group chat which was just leaked.
A journalist was accidentally added to a private conversation between senior members of the president’s cabinet on the commercial encrypted messaging app, Signal, earlier this month – meaning he could read their top secret plans to launch airstrikes on Yemen.
The chat included clear details about weapons, targets and timings ahead of the March 15 strike, which went on to kill more than 50 people.
The airstrikes were intended to deter Houthi rebels who, to try and hurt Israel’s allies, have been launching attacks on commercial ships travelling through the Red Sea and to and from the Suez Canal.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg then shared details of the shocking conversations in a shocking article on Monday – including a moment where Europe was torn apart as the US officials justified the airstrikes.
Addressing the US defence secretary Hegseth, vice president JD Vance said: “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
According to Goldberg, the user identified as Hegseth responded three minutes later, writing: “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike [Waltz] is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this.
“Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”
Vance, who has not deviated from the US president’s stance on any topics so far, also criticised Trump over Europe in the leaked chat.
He said: “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.
“There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices.
“I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself.
“But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.”
National security adviser Mike Waltz started the group chat and invited Goldberg to join – even though the app is not an approved form of communication for sensitive information by the US government.
A spokesperson, Brian Hughes, for the National Security Council appeared to verified the reports.
He told the Atlantic: “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.
“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
Trump later alleged that he did not “know anything about it” and claimed The Atlantic is “going out of business”.
Hegseth later said denied sharing war plans in the chat, telling reporters: “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.”