The Houthis Raid: A Well Executed Photo OP
The recent controversy surrounding the leaked Signal chat from the Trump administration and the subsequent U.S. airstrike on Yemen has largely centered on a glaring security error: a journalist mistakenly included in a confidential group chat. However, beneath this immediate drama lies a far deeper and more troubling story—a deliberate prioritization of political optics over national security.
Let’s be clear from the outset: The Houthis pose a genuine and ongoing threat to stability in Yemen. The U.S. military executed the March 15, 2025, airstrike professionally and effectively, neutralizing strategic Houthi assets that have consistently undermined regional stability. But the core issue here is not the efficacy or legitimacy of the military action itself—it is the underlying rationale revealed through leaked discussions among senior officials.
The Signal chat transcripts expose that the primary motivation for launching the strike was political optics, not national security. Vice President JD Vance expressed explicit concerns over potential economic repercussions, particularly regarding global oil markets and shipping lanes. In contrast, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advocated forcefully for immediate action to "restore deterrence" and visibly project strength, explicitly contrasting President Trump's decisiveness against that of former President Biden.
Disturbingly, Hegseth also disparaged European allies who expressed reservations about the strike, dismissing their reactions as "irrelevant whining" and asserting that Europe's concerns were insignificant to American interests. These comments have severely strained relationships with key European partners, threatening future intelligence-sharing and collaboration.
Adding further gravity to the breach, senior advisor Steven Witkoff participated in these sensitive discussions while physically present in Russia, significantly compounding the security risk of using an unsecured communication channel.
This misuse of military power, openly discussed in transactional terms and conducted through an unsecured messaging platform, represents an alarming normalization of warfare as political theater. Real military personnel were placed in harm's way, not because the situation required immediate action, but rather to produce favorable media coverage and influence public perception.
Perhaps most troubling was the casual handling of highly sensitive information. The inadvertent inclusion of a journalist occurred precisely because these strategic discussions were treated casually—as if they carried minimal national security implications—thereby exacerbating the severity of the security breach.
Clarified Timeline of Events
March 11, 2025 National Security Advisor Mike Waltz creates a Signal group chat titled "Houthi PC small group" to plan the Yemen strike. During the creation of this group chat, Waltz accidentally sends a Signal request to Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to join the conversation. Goldberg receives a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz.
March 13, 2025 Goldberg is added to the private Signal group chat labeled "Houthi PC small group," which includes high-ranking administration officials such as Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others. Throughout the subsequent discussion, the officials allegedly share sensitive operational details regarding the planned military strikes in Yemen, including specific information about targets, weapons systems, and strike sequencing. The officials are apparently unaware of Goldberg's presence in the chat until after the operations have been conducted and the group has engaged in post-operation communications.
March 14, 2025 Internal debates flare in the chat. Vice President JD Vance expresses reservations about potential economic impacts, particularly relating to oil markets and global shipping. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aggressively advocates for immediate action to project strength and reassert deterrence, dismissing European allies' concerns as insignificant. Senior advisor Steven Witkoff participates in these discussions from Russia, further heightening security concerns due to the unsecured nature of the communication platform.
March 15, 2025 At approximately 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time, the United States executes precision airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. These strikes aim primarily at bolstering U.S. political optics rather than responding to an immediate security threat. Following the strikes, group members exchange congratulatory messages.
March 16, 2025 Goldberg removes himself from the Signal group chat, triggering an automatic notification to the group's creator, Mike Waltz. Subsequently, Goldberg contacts several officials, including Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others, to inquire about the situation and seek confirmation. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes responds, confirming the authenticity of the Signal group and stating that the administration is reviewing the inadvertent inclusion.
March 22, 2025 President Trump revokes security clearances from numerous political adversaries, including Joseph R. Biden Jr., Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Robert Mueller, Andrew Weissmann, Fiona Hill, and Alexander Vindman. This revocation occurs suspiciously just two days before the public disclosure of the Signal chat breach.
March 24, 2025 The Atlantic publishes Jeffrey Goldberg’s exposé detailing the breach and the explicitly political motivations behind the Yemen strike. When confronted by reporters, Trump denies prior knowledge of the article, despite the timing of his earlier security clearance revocations.
Conclusion
The recent events surrounding the leaked Signal chat and the subsequent U.S. airstrike in Yemen reveal a troubling shift toward exploiting military power as a political spectacle. The erosion of protocols safeguarding national security information and the use of armed interventions primarily for political messaging pose severe risks to America's strategic integrity and international credibility.
While the military executed its mission with customary excellence, the decision-making behind it was fundamentally flawed and profoundly troubling. This strategic misuse of force for political gain requires immediate attention and a commitment to restoring accountability and proper strategic discipline.
These events have created a clear and present danger to the United States and her allies. By eroding our security and alienating our alliances, and by utilizing aggressive brinkmanship and arbitrary economic attacks on both friends and foes, the America of last year is now long gone. The principle that once value is destroyed, it cannot be recovered, underscores the gravity of these actions.
Our goal when our warplanes entered Yemeni airspace and attacked what was admittedly not a present danger was purely optical. The actions of the Houthis weren't even financially disruptive to the U.S., as Vice President Vance clearly stated. This was an attempt to show the world the full force and might of the U.S. military.
The world doesn't doubt our military. The men and women of our armed forces aren't in question; their honor remains intact. They performed marvelously and deserve commendation. It's their leadership, which would use them so carelessly, that's the danger and the disgrace.
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