Two Republicans in Congress have indicated serious work needs to be done to protect discussions of U.S. war plans.
The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, somehow ended up in a recent group chat about sensitive potential military action in Yemen. He said he got an invitation through an app to participate in the review.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, responded to questions from reporters with an online comment: "Sounds like a huge screw-up. I mean, is there any other way to describe it?"
He added: "I would hope that the interagency would look at that. Somebody dropped the ball."
The Hill reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised a quick response. "We're just finding out about it, but obviously, we've got to run it to ground and figure out what went on there."
The South Dakota Republican also told reporters, "We'll have a plan."
The Hill reported that some Democrat lawmakers are pointing accusing fingers at national security adviser Mike Waltz for the use of a commercial phone app to review military strategy, and for not making sure who was invited to the discussions.
Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the use of an unsecure app to discuss military strategy "represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen," according to The Hill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Hill it shouldn't have happened, and there won't be a repeat.
"Clearly, I think the administration has acknowledged it was a mistake, and they'll tighten up and make sure it doesn't happen again," he added.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.