'Own it, fire Waltz, move on': White House Supporters Express Outrage as Group Chat Controversy Expands
In the past day, Trump and members of his administration have seemingly minimized the significance of the leaked Signal group chat.
TroibNews 
Officials and allies of the Trump administration are expressing concern, anger, and confusion regarding the response, spearheaded by national security adviser Mike Waltz, to the leak of a group chat discussion that included plans for an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Over the past day, President Donald Trump and his administration have seemed to downplay the significance of the leaked Signal group chat, which was initially uncovered by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who was inadvertently included in the conversation and later detailed his experience.
“The White House is in denial that this was not classified or sensitive data,” remarked Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican and former Air Force general. “They should just own up to it and preserve credibility.”
Waltz, who seemingly added Goldberg to the chat by mistake, is facing significant blame within the White House.
White House staff and the president’s allies are frustrated with Waltz’s approach of insisting he does not know how Goldberg’s number got onto his phone or how the journalist ended up in a Signal thread discussing U.S. military operations in Yemen.
“People are mad that Waltz didn’t just admit a mistake and move on,” commented a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to address the sensitive issue. Waltz’s handling of the situation has raised concerns that he may be complicating matters further for the White House.
The official shared that White House staffers expressed sentiments following the incident: “Trump offered Waltz a chance to admit a glitch and move on but he said he doesn’t know how a reporter’s number was added. He asked for Elon’s help to figure it out but now he’s opened up a new angle on the story.”
Administration officials and those close to the White House are apprehensive that Waltz's choice to involve tech mogul Elon Musk in probing the leak could lead to additional political fallout. “Well, Waltz just opened the door for the FBI to investigate the compromise of his text chain,” one individual conveyed in another message.
Another person noted that Waltz’s assertions of not knowing Goldberg or how his number appeared on his phone are “bullshit and he risks somebody else calling bullshit on it. Like if anybody has ever seen them talking or if Goldberg has other texts.”
However, Waltz’s explanation is just one part of what has developed into a fragmented messaging strategy involving White House communications personnel, top officials testifying before Congress, and even the president, who spoke on Newsmax Tuesday night.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled The Atlantic story a “hoax.” Communications Director Steven Cheung asserted the magazine “falsely alleged” that there was war planning involved in the chat while deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich claimed The Atlantic “LIED.”
A source close to the White House critiqued this approach as “stupid,” emphasizing, “own it, fire Waltz, move on.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
Over the past day, President Donald Trump and his administration have seemed to downplay the significance of the leaked Signal group chat, which was initially uncovered by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who was inadvertently included in the conversation and later detailed his experience.
“The White House is in denial that this was not classified or sensitive data,” remarked Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican and former Air Force general. “They should just own up to it and preserve credibility.”
Waltz, who seemingly added Goldberg to the chat by mistake, is facing significant blame within the White House.
White House staff and the president’s allies are frustrated with Waltz’s approach of insisting he does not know how Goldberg’s number got onto his phone or how the journalist ended up in a Signal thread discussing U.S. military operations in Yemen.
“People are mad that Waltz didn’t just admit a mistake and move on,” commented a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to address the sensitive issue. Waltz’s handling of the situation has raised concerns that he may be complicating matters further for the White House.
The official shared that White House staffers expressed sentiments following the incident: “Trump offered Waltz a chance to admit a glitch and move on but he said he doesn’t know how a reporter’s number was added. He asked for Elon’s help to figure it out but now he’s opened up a new angle on the story.”
Administration officials and those close to the White House are apprehensive that Waltz's choice to involve tech mogul Elon Musk in probing the leak could lead to additional political fallout. “Well, Waltz just opened the door for the FBI to investigate the compromise of his text chain,” one individual conveyed in another message.
Another person noted that Waltz’s assertions of not knowing Goldberg or how his number appeared on his phone are “bullshit and he risks somebody else calling bullshit on it. Like if anybody has ever seen them talking or if Goldberg has other texts.”
However, Waltz’s explanation is just one part of what has developed into a fragmented messaging strategy involving White House communications personnel, top officials testifying before Congress, and even the president, who spoke on Newsmax Tuesday night.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled The Atlantic story a “hoax.” Communications Director Steven Cheung asserted the magazine “falsely alleged” that there was war planning involved in the chat while deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich claimed The Atlantic “LIED.”
A source close to the White House critiqued this approach as “stupid,” emphasizing, “own it, fire Waltz, move on.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
