Pete Hegseth leads the Trump admin's effort to make the Signalgate leak scandal go away by playing word games that put his cluelessness on glaring display

 

 

Pete Hegseth: Under the glare of hot lights (MSNBC)

Trump officials maintained their stance yesterday that the Signalgate leak scandal will "blow over." In fact, to hear Trumpers tell it, there is no scandal, only a "minor glitch." Will that argument hold up over time? In a post at its PM newsletter, Axios notes signs that the Trump version of the story does not match those from other sources.

Even the headline at the newsletter -- " 1 big thing: 'Attack plans' vs. 'war plans' -- suggests  the admin is addressing a national-security failure by  playing word games. Mike Allen, co-founder and executive editor at Axios, reports:

Nothing about the release of the actual text messages in which senior Trump officials discussed strikes in Yemen has changed the White House's belief that this will all blow over soon, Axios' Marc Caputo tells me.

• The Atlantic today released specific texts from the Signal chain on which its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included.
• White House communications officials quickly downplayed the release, noting that the new Atlantic headline used the phrase "attack plans" rather than "war plans."
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, unequivocally, that "nobody was texting war plans."

What they were saying: Screenshots released by The Atlantic show Hegseth providing the group with a timeline of the attack,

• "Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch," one update said.
• Another said, "THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP."
• In a more detailed report at the Axios website -- under the headline "Hegseth's leaked texts: 'THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP' -- Allen writes:

  The Atlantic released unredacted messages from the now-infamous Signal chat in which top Trump administration officials discussed plans to bomb the Houthis in Yemen.

• Why it matters: Top Trump officials had denied that any classified information was discussed, effectively daring The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg to release texts he had previously withheld for national security reasons.

  Zoom in: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, unequivocally, that "nobody was texting war plans."

  Below are the text messages that Hegseth sent to the group of 18 senior Trump officials on March 15, according to screenshots released by The Atlantic on Wednesday.

  • TEAM UPDATE:
  • TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.
  • 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)
  • 1345: 'Trigger Based' F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME — also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)
  • 1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)
  • 1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier 'Trigger Based' targets)
  • 1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts — also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.
  • MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)
  • We are currently clean on OPSEC
  • Godspeed to our Warriors.

  Between the lines: Whether the messages were indeed "classified" is not yet known, but the discussion of specific times and weapons packages is undoubtedly highly sensitive.

  • National security adviser Mike Waltz, who invited Goldberg to the group chat, revealed in the newly released texts that a building had collapsed and Houthi targets were positively identified.
  • "The first target — their top missile guy — we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend's building and it's now collapsed," Waltz wrote in a text addressed to Vice President Vance.

  What they're saying: White House communications officials quickly downplayed the release of the messages, noting that the new Atlantic headline used the phrase "attack plans" rather than "war plans."

  Is the White House actually trying to use a change in The Atlantic headline to present a satisfactory headline for critics that will explain the admin's screw-up and make the whole thing go away? If so, it suggests Team Trump does not comprehend the seriousness of the situation they created. 

  The picture gets more cloudy when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt enters the fray. Allen writes:

  • "The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT 'war plans.' This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted.

  Reality check: Dropping bombs on another country is generally understood to be an act of war, though the U.S. is not technically at war with the Houthis or with Yemen.

  • Trump has not specifically outlined the authorization under which the U.S. carried out the Houthi strikes, but he has promised to "completely annihilate" the Iranian-backed militant group for its continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
  • President Biden, who also carried out strikes against the Houthis during his term, had previously cited his Article II authority to use the military to defend American citizens and property.