Pete Hegseth Texting US War Plans to Group Chat That Accidentally Included Journalist Sparks Avalanche of Jokes, Memes

The internet was abuzz on Monday after a report by The Atlantic's editor Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat titled "Houthi PC small group" where senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, were discussing airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

As Goldberg recounts in his article, he was invited into the group chat on March 11, where users included individuals with names matching other high-ranking officials, including "MAR," believed to be Secretary of State Marco Antonio Rubio.

Despite Goldberg's initial skepticism about the chat's legitimacy, Hegseth sent detailed messages outlining military plans on March 15. Hours later, airstrikes occurred in Yemen, confirming for Goldberg that the messages were authentic. He exited the group and contacted officials to understand how he had been included.

The incident was widely regarded as a serious lapse by Democrats, many of whom publicly expressed their dismay at what they described as carelessness. Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, called the situation "FUBAR" on X and demanded immediate hearings, while Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) called it "amateur hour," criticizing the administration's foreign policy.

The bizarre nature of the error fueled a surge of memes and jokes about group chats and mistaken identities, as well as jabs at Hegseth's credentials as Secretary of Defense: