Following a reported leak of classified military information, the U.S. president stated that his national security advisor “has learned a lesson.”
President Trump defended National Security Advisor Mike Waltz after reports surfaced that Waltz had mistakenly included a journalist in a confidential discussion about military strategies in Yemen.
Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic reported on Monday about alleged conversations among high-ranking administration officials concerning planned airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The leak reportedly led to calls for Waltz’s removal and accusations of recklessness, negligence, and incompetence within the administration. According to sources cited by Politico on Tuesday, the consequences would largely depend on Trump’s response.
In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Trump dismissed the incident as “the only glitch in two months” and claimed it had “no impact at all” on the military operation.
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” the president stated.
Trump authorized a “powerful military action” against the Houthi militants in Yemen last Saturday, accusing them of an “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.” The Ansar Allah movement, as the group is officially known, has controlled significant parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since the mid-2010s.
Human rights organizations have consistently criticized U.S. airstrikes in Yemen for contributing to civilian casualties and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Some foreign policy analysts have cautioned that U.S. strikes could escalate tensions with Iran, which Washington accuses of supporting the Houthis, potentially leading to a wider regional conflict.