Trump stood up for advisor Waltz after Signal chat scandal: He’s learned his lesson
U.S. President Donald Trump has backed his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, amid a scandal over the leak of data to an Atlantic journalist through a private chat on the Signal messenger, where senior officials discussed plans for strikes against Yemeni Houthis.
He said this in an interview with NBC News, Censor.NET reports.
"Michael Waltz has learned his lesson, and he's a good man," Trump said.
The American president also claims that although The Atlantic journalist accidentally got into a closed chat about military plans, his presence "had no impact" on the strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
When asked how the journalist ended up in the chat, Trump replied: "It was a contact of one of Mike's people. The employee had his number."
He also expressed confidence in his team and was not disappointed by the incident with The Atlantic.
According to him, this situation was "the only disruption in two months, and it turned out to be minor."
Leak of confidential information from Signal chat
Earlier, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, accidentally joined a private chat on Signal where members of the US presidential administration discussed strikes on Yemen.
Trump also said that he was "unaware" of the report by The Atlantic journalist, who was accidentally added to a secret Signal chat where members of his administration discussed strikes on Yemen.
Afterward, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied that US military plans were discussed in the chat room and accused The Atlantic's editor-in-chief of "spreading fake news."
