The use of emojis in a leaked Trump administration group chat discussing strikes on Houthi targets has sparked outrage, with accusations that officials made light of the sensitive topics being discussed.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic magazine, revealed on Monday that Trump’s national security advisor Michael Waltz had – seemingly inadvertently – added him to a group chat called ‘Houthi PC small group’.
The chat appears to have served as a virtual war room for some of the President’s top team, including Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard and Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Goldberg said that Hegseth shared the war plan with the group at 11.44am eastern time on Saturday March 15, two hours before the bombs began dropping on Yemen.
As news broke of the strikes, the journalist checked the group chat where he found a flurry of emojis and congratulations flooding the text chain.
Waltz updated the group at 1.48pm, saying the operation had been an ‘amazing job’ before sending three emojis a few minutes later – a fist, an American flag, and fire.
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Tag Archives: Steve Witkoff
Daily Express: Donald Trump ‘touched’ after receiving ‘beautiful’ gift from Putin
We know where Krasnov’s loyalties lie:
The Kremlin verified on Monday that a portrait of Donald Trump, commissioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was gifted to the former U.S. president.
According to Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, the painting was presented to Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow earlier this month. Peskov confirmed this in response to a journalist’s inquiry but chose not to elaborate further.
The existence of the gift first came to light in an interview between Witkoff and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson last week. During their conversation, Witkoff mentioned that Trump “was clearly touched” by the portrait, describing it as “beautiful.”
Donald Trump ‘touched’ after receiving ‘beautiful’ gift from Putin
Washington Post: Trump defends national security adviser Waltz in Signal group chat blunder
Later, during a White House meeting with U.S. ambassadors, Trump said Waltz had been unfairly attacked and suggested that the problem was an issue with technology, not a lapse in judgment from a key deputy. “I don’t think he should apologize. I think he’s doing his best,” Trump said. “It’s equipment and technology that’s not perfect. And, probably he won’t be using it again. At least not in the very near future.”
Nonsense!
Our government — especially our military — has secure communications facilities and procedures. Trump’s wannabes are just too stupid / too ignorant / to lazy to use them.
Trump defends national security adviser Waltz in Signal group chat blunder
The Telegraph: Kremlin targeting app at heart of White House group chat leaks
Cyber attackers linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency had sought to gain access to Signal accounts
Russian military hackers have targeted the messaging app at the centre of the White House group chat fiasco, raising further fears about the security of US secret communications.
Researchers at Google found cyber attackers linked to the Kremlin’s military intelligence agency had sought to gain access to Signal accounts in Ukraine and were likely to use the techniques on other targets to snoop on conversations.
On Monday it emerged that members of Donald Trump’s cabinet including JD Vance, the vice president, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, had used Signal to discuss secret US military plans.
It emerged after Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat in which they discussed plans to bomb Yemen and disclosed classified material.

Kremlin targeting Signal app at heart of White House group chat leaks