The White House security breach raises concerns among some military
spouses and veterans
[March 27, 2025]
By BEN FINLEY and ALLEN G. BREED
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — When Alyssa Myatt’s husband served on an aircraft
carrier last year, she and other U.S. Navy spouses had to follow strict
security protocols that meant driving to the ship’s home port just to
learn that its deployment was being extended.
Texting, phone calls and emails about the deployment were restricted. A
Facebook group connecting families with sailors was consistently
monitored by the Navy, and posts were deleted if they contained
sensitive information such as a photo that could give away the ship’s
location, Myatt said.
The revelation of a group chat in which Trump administration officials
discussed an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen was difficult to process
for some military families, who are held to high standards when it comes
to protecting information about the whereabouts and assignments of
spouses and loved ones. It has also exasperated some veterans who are
questioning the White House’s commitment to security safeguards.
“‘Loose lips sink ships’ is a very real saying,” Myatt said of the World
War II-era warning. Her husband served on the USS Eisenhower in 2024 as
the Navy shot down Houthi-launched missiles in the Red Sea.
Although President Donald Trump has downplayed the security breach as a
“glitch,” Myatt found it deeply concerning because it flouted the strict
rules that she and others have had to follow while potentially
endangering U.S. sailors like her husband.
“To see these individuals who control our military not taking it
seriously sets a precedent that is very scary and could result in
dangerous situations for our men and women who serve our country,” Myatt
said.
Veterans expected more from officials
The breach occurred March 15 when top national security officials texted
plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in the
publicly available Signal app, which provides encrypted communications
but can be hacked. The group included the editor-in-chief for The
Atlantic magazine, which reported the incident in a story posted online
Monday.
The White House has said that no classified information was posted to
the chat. Michael Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, later took
“full responsibility” for the incident.
But Vietnam veteran Edwin J. Thomas says Trump’s Cabinet officials
should have known better.
Thomas, 78, was visiting the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations
Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg, the nation’s
largest Army installation.
Thomas, who carried a heavy machine gun during his time in the U.S.
Marine Corps, said “everything should be kept confidential, behind
closed doors" during military planning. He doesn’t think anyone should
be fired, unless they continue to show what he considers poor judgment.
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Vietnam veteran Edwin J. Thomas stands outside the U.S. Army
Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, N.C., on
Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
“I think it’s incompetence,” said Thomas, who voted for Trump. “They
should have thought about what they were doing at the time when they
did it. It’s a mistake. If they correct it, that’s fine. If they
continue to use that app, then I think that’s an abuse of power.”
Air Force Reserve veteran David Cameron Wright said it made him
angry.
“It makes me think they don’t care about our security," the former
senior airman said as he sat by a fountain at North Carolina
Veterans Park in Fayetteville.
"I expect more of our people in that type of authority,” he added.
Like Thomas, though, he thinks the White House officials involved
should be given a second chance.
“I mean, nobody’s perfect,” he said. “No president, no civilian.
Military, nonmilitary. Nobody’s perfect.”
Staying safe during deployment
The latest U.S. campaign against the Houthis began with fighter jets
launching off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and dropping
bombs in parts of Yemen, a mission similar to the one Myatt’s
husband was on last year.
The Eisenhower's carrier strike group protected merchant vessels and
allied warships under fire in a vital Red Sea corridor that leads to
the Suez Canal. About 7,000 American sailors were waging the most
intense running sea battle since World War II.
The Eisenhower's home port is the nation's largest Navy base in
Norfolk and its deployment was extended twice. The aircraft carrier
had Wi-Fi, enabling sailors to stay in touch with family through
texts, WhatsApp and even phone calls. But there were times when the
ship went silent.
“If we weren’t getting emails, if we weren’t getting phone calls, it
kind of clued us in that something’s happening,” Myatt said.
“Because the ship shut down all communications to protect itself.”
Myatt questioned why White House officials couldn’t share the
information about the latest strikes in person, possibly in the
famed Situation Room depicted in films and television shows.
“What if it was somebody who wanted to take that information and
make a whole lot of money off of it?” she said about the accidental
inclusion of an outsider in the chat.
“This isn’t a partisan issue,” Myatt added. “Whether you are a
Republican or a Democrat, that should not matter. This is a
situation that affects every single American regardless of how you
voted.”
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Breed reported from Fayetteville.
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