Trump says Signal leak is ‘witch hunt’

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has downplayed the recent leak of a private conversation among top officials regarding military strikes in Yemen, calling the media’s reaction a “witch hunt.” The conversation, which took place on the Signal messaging platform, was mistakenly exposed to a journalist. The discussion, which involved plans for airstrikes on Houthi militants in Yemen, was revealed after the US launched airstrikes on March 15 in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping.

Trump responded to the incident by stating that no harm was done and that the airstrikes were highly successful. He criticized the media for exaggerating the leak and suggested that Signal, the messaging platform in question, might be defective. The leak, reported by The Atlantic, involved a group chat that included key administration officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others, discussing military strategy. Trump and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz both addressed the situation, with Waltz taking full responsibility for the mishap.

Signal, however, denied claims of vulnerabilities, emphasizing that its platform is secure for private communications.

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