In a shocking US national security incident, senior Trump administration officials have accidentally exposed highly sensitive military plans through a Signal group chat, triggering widespread bipartisan condemnation and calls for immediate investigation.

The Atlantic revealed that top government officials, including Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, were part of an encrypted Signal group chat that was inadvertently made accessible to the publication’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg.

The chat contained detailed discussions about potential airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, raising serious concerns about operational security and classified information handling.

Political leaders from both parties expressed alarm at the security breach. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence” in recent memory, while New York Representative Pat Ryan described the situation as “Fubar” (an acronym for “fucked up beyond all recognition”).

The leak potentially violates federal record-keeping laws and could expose the officials to serious legal consequences. The Federal Records Act requires government communications to be preserved for at least two years, whereas the Signal messages were set to automatically delete within four weeks.

Several lawmakers have demanded immediate action. Jim Himes, top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, called the actions a “brazen violation of laws and regulations”. Senator Mark Warner accused the administration of “playing fast and loose with our nation’s most classified info”. Hakeem Jeffries called for a “substantive investigation”.

The White House acknowledged the leak, with National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes describing the messages as an example of “deep and thoughtful policy coordination” and asserting that the Houthi operation’s ongoing success demonstrated no threats to troops or national security.

Ironically, some officials involved had previously criticized similar security breaches during the Biden administration. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had both been vocal about document handling protocols in the past.

The Democratic National Committee’s chair, Ken Martin, called for Hegseth’s resignation, stating that “our national security cannot be left in Hegseth’s incompetent and unqualified hands.”

Senator Chris Coons went further, declaring that “every single one of the government officials on this text chain have now committed a crime – even if accidentally.”