The White House defended the Trump administration’s military actions after a leaked chat about strikes on the Houthis in Yemen sparked outrage from Democrats. The leak has led to increased calls for resignations from top officials, but the White House maintains the actions were a success
The White House came under fire from Democrats on Tuesday following the leak of a private conversation regarding U.S. military strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.
The conversation, disclosed by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of *The Atlantic*, revealed that senior government officials had discussed the strikes in a Signal chat.
Among those in the chat were high-ranking officials including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
The leaked chat has put significant pressure on the Trump administration, with critics accusing the National Security team of negligence and sparking a series of calls for resignations.
In particular, Democratic lawmakers demanded answers, citing the seriousness of the leak and questioning the competence of officials involved.
However, the White House pushed back against these criticisms, accusing Democrats of attempting to distract from the administration’s success in eliminating terrorists who had targeted U.S. troops and disrupting one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The administration emphasized that the actions taken against the Houthis had been effective in protecting U.S. citizens and ensuring national security.
In a public meeting with security officials, Virginia Senator Mark Warner voiced concerns, suggesting that had a similar leak been caused by an intelligence officer, the individual would have faced immediate termination.
He further called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, claiming that their actions had compromised national security.
CIA Director Ratcliffe and DNI Gabbard defended the leak, with Ratcliffe insisting that his contribution to the chat was not classified.
Gabbard added that no classified material had been shared, though she declined to go into further detail. Despite these assertions, Warner and other lawmakers continued to demand the full release of the chat.
Democratic leaders, including DNC Chair Ken Martin, amplified the calls for Hegseth’s resignation, accusing him of being “unfit to lead the Defense Department” and suggesting that his actions had jeopardized national security.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the leak as “outrageous and shocking,” reflecting the anger of Americans at what they viewed as reckless behavior by top officials.
The White House, however, remained resolute in its defense, claiming that nothing could distract from the administration’s success in taking strong action against the Houthis and protecting U.S. interests.
