Trump Spokesperson Doubles Down on Hegseth Claim That 'No War Plans' Were Discussed in Leaked Signal Group Chat

Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claim that no classified war plans were shared in a leaked Signal group chat revealed in a bombshell report by The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg on Monday, reiterating that no sensitive material was discussed.

Through a post on her X account, Leavitt dismissed claims, calling it a "sensationalist spin" and emphasizing that "no war plans were discussed" and "no classified material was sent to the thread."

Speaking to reporters as he arrived in Hawaii for a weeklong trip to Asia, Hegseth denied mishandling classified information on Monday. "Nobody was texting war plans," said Hegesth, accusing Goldberg of being a "professional hoax peddler." He went on to argue that the messaging thread had been misrepresented and maintained that there was no mishandling of classified information.

Goldberg countered Hegseth's statement, calling it a "lie" during an interview with CNN.

According to The Atlantic's report, the group chat, named "Houthi PC small group," included key figures such as Vice President JD Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Goldberg wrote that on March 15, Hegseth sent messages detailing airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen. Hours later, the strikes were carried out.

The National Security Council has acknowledged to The Atlantic the authenticity of the messages in the chat and is reviewing how Goldberg was mistakenly added. Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the council, stated, "At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."