Hegseth's leaked texts: "THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP"
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Pete Hegseth. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Atlantic released unredacted messages from the now-infamous Signal chat in which top Trump administration officials discussed plans to bomb the Houthis in Yemen.
Why it matters: Top Trump officials had denied that any classified information was discussed, effectively daring The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg to release texts he had previously withheld for national security reasons.
Zoom in: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, unequivocally, that "nobody was texting war plans."
Below are the text messages that Hegseth sent to the group of 18 senior Trump officials on March 15, according to screenshots released by The Atlantic on Wednesday.
- TEAM UPDATE:
- TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.
- 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)
- 1345: 'Trigger Based' F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME — also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)
- 1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)
- 1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier 'Trigger Based' targets)
- 1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts — also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.
- MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)
- We are currently clean on OPSEC
- Godspeed to our Warriors.
Between the lines: Whether the messages were indeed "classified" is not yet known, but the discussion of specific times and weapons packages is undoubtedly highly sensitive.
- National security adviser Mike Waltz, who invited Goldberg to the group chat, revealed in the newly released texts that a building had collapsed and Houthi targets were positively identified.
- "The first target — their top missile guy — we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend's building and it's now collapsed," Waltz wrote in a text addressed to Vice President Vance.
What they're saying: White House communications officials quickly downplayed the release of the messages, noting that the new Atlantic headline used the phrase "attack plans" rather than "war plans."
- "The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT 'war plans.' This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted.
Reality check: Dropping bombs on another country is generally understood to be an act of war, though the U.S. is not technically at war with the Houthis or with Yemen.
- Trump has not specifically outlined the authorization under which the U.S. carried out the Houthi strikes, but he has promised to "completely annihilate" the Iranian-backed militant group for its continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
- President Biden, who also carried out strikes against the Houthis during his term, had previously cited his Article II authority to use the military to defend American citizens and property.
This story is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
