Washington.- The United States President Donald Trump dismissed on Wednesday concerns over a security lapse in which a journalist was mistakenly added to a private chat discussing US military plans for an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Trump defended his National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, who created the Signal group chat, calling him a “very good man” and insisting he would remain in his position despite criticism.

“It was a mistake, the only one in two months I’ve been back in the White House,” Trump told reporters. “But the important thing is that nothing happened, and the airstrikes were a success.”

The journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, detailed in an article how he inadvertently gained access to four days of internal government discussions leading up to the weekend strikes.

The attack reportedly killed 53 people and injured 98, according to Houthi sources.

Administration’s stance on Europe exposed

Beyond the security implications, the leaked conversations also revealed the administration’s deep skepticism toward European allies.

Vice President JD Vance expressed his frustration over the US “rescuing” Europe yet again, while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth agreed, calling European reliance on the US for securing trade routes in the Gulf Aden “PATHETIC.”

The remarks, now public, are likely to strain transatlantic relations at a time when European nations have sought greater US involvement in securing global trade routes disrupted by Houthi attacks.

White House defends use of Signal App

Trump claimed no classified information was shared in the chat and downplayed calls for security protocol changes.

“I don’t know anything about Signal, I wasn’t involved in this, but I’ve been told that a lot of groups use it,” he said.

Waltz and other top officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, also defended the use of Signal.

Speaking before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ratcliffe acknowledged he participated in the chat under the initials “JR” but insisted that using Signal complied with CIA security protocols.

However, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the committee’s vice chair, called the incident “negligent, reckless, and careless,” arguing that it endangered the country’s safety. He has called for a full investigation into how the security lapse occurred.