Mike Waltz's fate uncertain following supposedly accidental war plan leak: 'Don't give the mob what it wants'



There is a great deal of uncertainty about what fate might befall President Donald Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz following allegations that he accidentally included an anti-Trump polemicist in a private high-level group chat discussing war plans.

While a handful of top administration officials told Axios they expect the controversy to peter out and for Waltz to remain, unnamed White House officials told Politico that there is presently internal debate over whether to kick him to the curb, claiming the general consensus is that "Mike Waltz is a f**king idiot."

The story

Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of the Atlantic, claimed in a Monday article that he received a "war plan" concerning American airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen roughly two hours before they took place on March 15.

Goldberg, who previously smeared Trump with anonymous sources and did his best to provide ammunition for Democrat political attacks ahead of Election Day, claimed that on March 11, a user on the encrypted messaging app Signal identified as Michael Waltz sent him a connection request.

"Two days later — Thursday — at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the 'Houthi PC small group,'" wrote Goldberg.

'I just hate bailing Europe out again.'

This particular group chat, supposedly intended for senior officials in the Trump administration, was reportedly populated with users whose identifiers signaled that they might be Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. According to Goldberg, there were a total of 18 individuals listed as members of this group chat.

Goldberg claimed that the user identified as Waltz kicked off a "fascinating policy discussion" on March 14 about hitting Houthi targets in which the account labeled "JD Vance" allegedly stated, "I think we are making a mistake" and indicated that it might be prudent "delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc."

After other users chimed in, the "Pete Hegseth" account allegedly wrote:

Waiting a few weeks or a month does not fundamentally change the calculus. 2 immediate risks on waiting: 1) this leaks, and we look indecisive; 2) Israel takes an action first – or Gaza cease fire falls apart – and we don't get to start this on our own terms. We can manage both. We are prepared to execute, and if I had final go or no go vote, I believe we should. This [is] not about the Houthis. I see it as two things: 1) Restoring Freedom of Navigation, a core national interest; and 2) Reestablish deterrence, which Biden cratered. But, we can easily pause. And if we do, I will do all we can to enforce 100% OPSEC. ... I welcome other thoughts.

"Michael Waltz" later highlighted the relative toothlessness of European navies, stressing, "Whether it's now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes."

"JD Vance" followed up with, "If you think we should do it let's go. I just hate bailing Europe out again."

"VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC," said the user identified as Hegseth. "But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space."

'We are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.'

This back-and-forth and the sensitive comments that followed apparently left Goldberg "mystified that no one in the group seemed to have noticed my presence."

According to Goldberg, the user identified as "Pete Hegseth" provided an update at 11:44 a.m. on March 15, which allegedly contained "operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing."

Sure enough, hours after "JD Vance" responded to the update with, "I will say a prayer for victory," there were reports of explosions in Yemen followed by celebratory messages in the chat, prompting Goldberg to conclude that the group chat was indeed authentic.

The perceived authenticity of the chat led the liberal reporter to suggest further that Waltz "may have violated several provisions of the Espionage Act," in part because the Signal app is not government-approved for the dissemination of classified information and also because some of the messages were set to disappear after a period of days or weeks.

The responses

In the immediate wake of Goldberg's report, there was a great deal of speculation about whether the Atlantic editor was once again pushing fake news, had been played — possibly used by the Trump administration to indirectly telegraph its growing frustrations with Europe's "free-loading" and relative military weakness — or both.

However, Brian Hughes, spokesman for the National Security Council, told the Atlantic on Monday, "This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."

"The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security," added Hughes.

'Nobody was texting war plans, and that's all I have to say about that.'

William Martin, a spokesman for Vance, appeared to indirectly confirm the chat's authenticity. Martin emphasized Vance's alignment with Trump — the "JD Vance" user in the chat had suggested the president's "message on Europe" was inconsistent — and stated, "The vice president’s first priority is always making sure that the president’s advisers are adequately briefing him on the substance of their internal deliberations."

Hegseth did not deny that there was a group chat but suggested that Goldberg had mischaracterized its nature and contents.

When asked about the Signal chats, the defense secretary told reporters in Hawaii, "So you're talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who's made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again — to include the, I don't know, the hoaxes of Russia, Russia, Russia, or the 'fine people on both sides' hoax, or 'suckers and losers' hoax."

"So this is the guy that peddles in the garbage. This is what he does," continued Hegseth. "I've heard how it was characterized. Nobody was texting war plans, and that's all I have to say about that."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Monday statement, "As President Trump said, the attacks on the Houthis have been highly successful and effective. President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including national security adviser Mike Waltz."

'We all know that you don't give the mob what it wants.'

Democrats, facing record unpopularity and disarray, seized upon the Atlantic report as an opportunity to attack the Trump administration and unite on messaging.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Goldberg's inclusion in the chat a "stunning breach of military intelligence," adding, "If you were up in arms over unsecure emails years ago, you should be outraged by this amateurish behavior."

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) complained about the chat on CNN and tweeted, "If senior advisors to President Trump in fact used non-secure, non-government systems to discuss and convey detailed war plans, it's a shocking breach of the standards for sharing classified information that could have put American servicemembers at risk."

What to do with Waltz

White House officials told Politico that Trump is expected to make a decision this week regarding Waltz's status in the administration.

One official who spoke to the liberal publication on the condition of anonymity said some administration staffers are "saying he's never going to survive or shouldn't survive."

"It was reckless not to check who was on the thread. It was reckless to be having that conversation on Signal. You can't have recklessness as the national security adviser," said the unnamed official.

"Everyone in the White House can agree on one thing: Mike Waltz is a f**king idiot," another individual reportedly close to the White House stated. "I don't think there are any long-term political consequences for Trump or the administration, outside of this potentially costing Waltz his job."

While Politico's framing might suggest that Walz's days as national security adviser are numbered, top Trump officials' recent comments to Axios alternatively suggest that the administration is circling the wagons.

"We don't care what the media says," said one Trump adviser. "We can easily handle what would kill any other administration. This will blow over."

A senior White House official noted that "Trump certainly wasn't pleased with this," but added "all this talk you see about Waltz not lasting is just way premature. There's a Washington feeding frenzy. And we all know that you don't give the mob what it wants."

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Joe Biden Keeps Rewarding The Terrorists

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-01-at-12.44.58 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-01-at-12.44.58%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]An 'independent' Palestinian state promises to envelop Israel in a three-front terror fight and pull the U.S. into a quagmire.

Is Biden's Houthi strike connected to the 2024 election​?



The United States and United Kingdom have carried out strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen — and Rep. Thomas Massie believes he knows why.

“You should look at it as this is election season, and when you’re at war, you know, there’s a greater tendency to vote for the commander in chief who’s waging the war,” Massie explains to Glenn Beck.

“And I am worried that he’s going to draw us into a war with this,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Biden didn’t fulfill what Massie believes was an obligation of his.

“He has an obligation to come to Congress, and I think he had time to do it. If he had time to organize an international coalition, or at least with Great Britain, to pull this off, he had time to come to us,” Massie says.

The War Powers Act requires Biden to do that, unless he is responding defensively in the case of an emergency.

“The War Powers Act is correct in a world where we have missiles. If somebody’s launching a missile, the president does not have time to go to Congress and say, ‘Hey I want to make my case here that in 12 minutes we’re all going to be vaporized,’” Glenn says.

However, as Massie said, it’s been over 90 days since this fighting has begun.

“The president has a responsibility to go in front of the American people and Congress and make his case; and Congress needs to decide,” Glenn says.

“You are absolutely correct,” Massie agrees.


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Ceasefire Democrats furious that the US flattened terrorists in Yemen; slap Biden with his own past critique



The radical left is enraged that President Joe Biden got something right this week. Democratic lawmakers blasted the president for flattening the Houthi rebels who have been firing missiles and bomber drones toward U.S. warships and at merchant vessels incessantly for months.

In their critiques, ceasefire Democrats like Reps. Val Hoyle (Ore.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), and Ro Khanna (Calif.), erroneously suggested the massive retaliatory attack against Hamas' allies — executed in concert with Britain and supported by Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and Bahrain — was illegal.

What's the background?

Houthi forces, dropped from the list of foreign terrorist organizations by the Biden administration, announced after the Hamas terror attacks on Israel that ships associated with the Jewish nation attempting to transit the Bab al-Mandeb strait constituted "legitimate" targets for additional attacks.

Blaze News previously reported that the Houthis also threatened to target American warships if U.S. naval forces hit ground installations in Yemen.

The terrorists made good on their threats in recent months, launching hundreds of drone and missile attacks against civilian transport ships transiting the strait connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea — one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

In December, the U.S. attempted to launch an international task force to address the terrorist threat but was only able to recruit Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain.

There was an escalation on Dec. 30, when American forces, attempting to protect a commercial ship from another Houthi attack, were fired upon. Evidently unwilling to suffer any further indignities, U.S. Navy helicopters dispatched from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely blew three Houthi vessels out of the water.

Last straw

In an apparent retaliation for having their boats blown to smithereens, the terrorists targeted American ships on Jan. 9 with 21 drones and missiles, which Reuters indicated British naval forces managed to shoot down. Then, on Jan. 11, Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the strait. This proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Biden authorized strikes Thursday "in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."

"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes," added Biden.

60 rebel targets were hammered in 16 locations in Yemen.

— (@)

The terrorists responded by calling the attacks "barbaric" and stressing "all US, UK interests have become 'legitimate targets.'"

Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose nation still is apparently a NATO member, said the U.S. and U.K. were "trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood," reported Al Jazeera.

A NATO spokesman said, "These strikes were defensive, and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways. The (Houthi) attacks must end."

Ceasefire radicals attempt to pass as constitutionalists

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said, "This is why I called for a ceasefire early. This is why I voted against war in Iraq. Violence only begets more violence. We need a ceasefire now to prevent deadly, costly, catastrophic escalation of violence in the region."

Despite the terrorists' vow to indiscriminately strike American interests, Lee added, "The U.S. must demand an immediate ceasefire."

Jayapal (D-Wash.) wrote, "This is an unacceptable violation of the Constitution. Article 1 requires that military action be authorized by Congress."

Anti-Israeli activist Rep. Tashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) joined Jayapal in feigning interest in the law, similarly claiming Biden was "violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval."

— (@)

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) claimed Thursday, "The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another middle east conflict. That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House."

Khanna added, "Section 2C of the War Powers Act is clear: POTUS may only introduce the U.S. into hostilities after Congressional authorization or in a national emergency when the U.S. is under imminent attack. Reporting is not a substitute. This is a retaliatory, offensive strike."

Khanna's post on X was slapped with community notes highlighting that in this circumstance, Biden had the legal power to authorize the strikes as Houthis had previously launched a missile attack on both U.S. and British ships. Furthermore, the notes highlighted that the congressional Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 was still in effect.

The Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel has argued in recent years that there are two conditions under which the president can exercise authority without Congress' approval: if he reasonably determines action serves "important national interests" and that the "nature, scope and duration of the conflict must not rise to the level of war" that would encroach on Congress' constitutional powers, reported Newsweek.

The War Powers Resolution explicitly allows for the president to introduce U.S. armed forces "into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."

Dr. Richard Johnson of Queen Mary University in London told Newsweek, "The War Powers Act clarifies that if the president follows the third path, then he should 'in every possible instance shall consult with Congress' before sending forces into hostilities. The term, consultation, has ironically empowered the president."

"'Consultation' is different than specifying that the president needs to ask Congress's permission before sending armed forces in to hostilities," added Johnson. "'Consult' in practice has transformed into 'inform' after the decision was already taken."

While Biden appears to have been in the right in this circumstance, he held former President Donald Trump to a different standard in 2020 when Trump had Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani whacked.

Biden wrote, "Let's be clear: Donald Trump does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval. A president should never take this nation to war without the informed consent of the American people."

— (@)

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US warship shoots down bomber drones amidst Houthi terrorist attack in the Red Sea



Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis attacked three merchant vessels Sunday and directed drones toward an American warship, according to U.S. Central Command. Fortunately for the civilian ships, the USS Carney made quick work of destroying the enemy craft.

Houthi forces, dropped from the list of foreign terrorist organizations by the Biden administration, have indicated that ships associated with Israel attempting to transit the Bab al-Mandeb strait constitute "legitimate" targets for additional attacks.

This threat from Hamas' allies has far-reaching implications, especially since the strait, connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, is one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

The players

CENTCOM indicated that there were four attacks Sunday against three different commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea.

The ships targeted by the terrorists were the Unity Explorer, a bulk carrier sailing under the flag of the Bahamas, which CENTCOM indicated was British-owned but shipping site BalticShipping.com noted is owned by the Tel Aviv-based Ray Shipping; the Number 9, a Bermudan and British-owned container ship sailing under the Panamanian flag; and the Sophie II, another Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier with a multinational crew.

According to the Associated Press, Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks.

Houthis are a Shia military group that was recognized by the Trump administration as a terrorist organization. They kicked off the Yemen civil war in 2014 when they seized the capital city of Sanaa and ousted the government. The Houthis presently control the western portion of the country, which hems the Red Sea.

In President Joe Biden's first days in office, his administration removed the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations, to the satisfaction of the U.N.

Houthi attacks have increase since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel. For instance, on Nov. 26, two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen landed near the USS Mason. Rebels also seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park.

Houthis have also launched anti-Israeli attacks in recent weeks "to help the Palestinians to victory," reported Reuters.

The latest attacks

At 9:15 a.m., the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that had been patrolling international waters, detected an anti-ship ballistic missile attack fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Unity Explorer, "impacting in the vicinity of the vessel."

Roughly three hours after detecting the attack on the Unity Explorer, the USS Carney shot down an incoming Houthi drone. CENTCOM indicated that while the drone had been "headed toward CARNEY ... its specific target is not clear."

It appears that was only the terrorists' opening salvo.

Around 12:35 p.m., the Unity Explorer was struck by another missile fired from Yemen. The attack, which resulted in minor damage, prompted a response from the USS Carney.

While in the process of aiding the Unity Explorer with its danger assessment, the USS Carney detected another inbound drone. The warship quickly blasted the enemy craft to cinders.

At 3:30 p.m., the Number 9 container ship was hit by a missile, again from an area in Houthi-controlled Yemen. While it suffered damage, there were no casualties.

The Sophie II issued a distress call around 4:30 p.m., indicating it too had been struck by a missile. The damage was not significant and it appears there were no fatalities.

The USS Carney responded to the distress call from the Sophie II. However, on its way to administer support, the warship encountered another drone headed its way, which it quickly shot out of the sky in self-defense.

Responsibility and responses

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi terrorists, claimed responsibility for two of the four attacks, namely the first missile strike and the successful drone strike in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, reported the Associated Press.

"The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea (and Gulf of Aden) until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops," said Saree. "The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what is stated in this statement."

The Unity Explorer reportedly may have been targeted in part because the British firm has among its officers Dan David Ungar, a resident of Israel.

CENTCOM stated, "These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world."

"We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran," continued CENTCOM. "The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies."

When missiles from Houthi-controlled territory were fired at American ships in 2016, the USS Nitze repaid the favor, atomizing three coastal radar sites in Houthi territory with cruise missiles.

While Iran has not officially addressed the attacks, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian indicated that "if the current situation continues, the region will enter a new phase," referring to Israel's war with Hamas terrorists.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby indicated on Nov. 21 that the Biden administration is now considering "potential terrorist designations" for the Houthi forces over their "flagrant violation of international law," reported Reuters.

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Mankind just fought its first space battle ... It was Israel vs. WHO?



The days of land wars might be nearing an end.

In what may be the first space battle in the history of mankind, Israel has shot down a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels while it was outside the atmosphere.

The missile flew a thousand miles over the Arabian Peninsula to its target, where it was shot down by Israeli’s aero missile defense system.

It’s believed to be the first combat ever to take place in space.

“'Star Wars' has begun,” Stu Burguiere says, shocked.

Yemen’s Houthis also released footage reporting the missile as being launched as part of a barrage of drones and other long-range weapons aimed at Israeli towns and cities.

Glenn Beck is surprised the Houthis income allows them to have a defense industry that is working on ballistic missile systems, but he has a guess at who’s really behind it.

“Maybe, Iran,” Glenn says, although he’s “sure” the Houthis have “an unbelievable scientific community” and a “great IT department.”

“If the Houthis have it, I would imagine the Iranians could put a ballistic missile into the sky. And they also have a, you know, a nuke.”


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Iran-backed Houthi rebels have breached the U.S. embassy in Yemen​



The U.S. State Department is seeking the release of individuals detained by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and calling for the militants who breached the American embassy facility in Sana'a to abandon the premises and return stolen materials.

"We call on the Houthis to immediately vacate it and return all seized property," a State Department spokesperson said, according to reports. "The U.S. government will continue its diplomatic efforts to secure the release of our staff and the vacating of our compound, including through our international partners."

Yemenis working for America have been detained by Houthis in recent weeks, Bloomberg reported earlier this week, citing two individuals familiar with the issue.

The outlet said that the American embassy in Yemen was closed years ago in 2015, though some local workers still work from home or serve as security for the facility grounds.

"The United States has been unceasing in its diplomatic efforts to secure their release," a State Department spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon. "The majority of the detained have been released, but the Houthis continue to detain additional Yemeni employees of the embassy."

The individuals being detained are "detained without explanation and we call for their immediate release," the State Department spokesperson noted, according to the Free Beacon.

After the Trump administration designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization, the Biden administration reversed course, the Free Beacon noted.

"The Houthis continue acting like a foreign terrorist organization. The Biden administration's wrong-headed decision to not treat them as one is failing with catastrophic consequences for the people of Yemen, U.S. allies and U.S. security," tweeted Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz.

The Houthis continue acting like a foreign terrorist organization. \n\nThe Biden administration\u2019s wrong-headed decision to not treat them as one is failing with catastrophic consequences for the people of Yemen, U.S. allies and U.S. security.https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-backed-militants-storm-us-embassy-in-yemen-seize-hostages-and-equipment/\u00a0\u2026

— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) 1636651026