Up First from NPR
Intelligence Officials Testify, Trump's Auto Tariffs, DOGE Access
Thu, 27 Mar 2025
A group chat among top U.S. national security officials discussing airstrikes in Yemen has been made public, sparking outrage and raising questions about the Trump administration's handling of classified information. President Trump imposes a 25% tariff on car imports to boost U.S. manufacturing, but auto industry leaders warn it could raise prices and disrupt markets. And, the Department of Government Efficiency's access to sensitive personal data from multiple federal agencies is sparking legal battles over privacy and security. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Anna Yukhananov, Brett Neely, Ryland Barton, Arezou Rezvani and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, and our technical director is Carleigh StrangeLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: What are the implications of the publicized Yemen war plans?
A group chat among intelligence officials discussing Yemen war plans is now public.
It is completely outrageous to me that administration officials come before us today with impunity.
Did Trump administration officials put national security at risk by using the messaging app Signal?
I'm Michelle Martin, that's A. Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. President Trump slaps 25 percent tariffs on imported cars, saying it will boost U.S. manufacturing.
I think our automobile business will flourish like it's never flourished before.
But will it really create jobs or just raise prices? And a single federal employee has access to millions of Americans' personal data. Why are the courts pushing back against Doge for having so much control? Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day. Everyone can now read that group chat among senior national security officials who are discussing airstrikes in Yemen.
But that doesn't mean this story is over. Democrats say they still have questions about how the Trump administration is handling national security. Republicans, meanwhile, say it's time to focus on what they are calling a successful bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen.
For more, we're joined by NPR's Greg Myrie. Greg, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee really grilled top national security officials yesterday. What should we take away from that?
Yeah. Shortly before the hearing, The Atlantic magazine published details of the group chat on March 15th among the top security officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave the timing for the attacks two hours before they began. And he laid out a timeline for the warplanes and the drones and how they would take off and when.
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Chapter 2: Did the Trump administration risk national security with Signal?
I used an appropriate channel to communicate sensitive information. It was permissible to do so. I didn't transfer any classified information.
And Defense Secretary Hegseth, writing on X, was also adamant that there was no classified information released. And other officials have said the same. Now, President Trump has been saying the same thing. He was a bit more ambiguous when asked Wednesday evening if he still thought that no classified information was disclosed. He said, quote, that's what I've heard. I don't know. I'm not sure.
You have to ask the various people involved.
All right, so if there's no formal investigation, I mean, what's going to happen now?
Well, Democrats say they'll keep pressing for details in this particular case, like whether national security officials have been using Signal for other chats, because, you know, it's more convenient, though clearly not as secure as government communication networks. More broadly, the Democrats are questioning Trump's foreign policy.
Trump has boasted about efforts to arrange ceasefires in Gaza and the Ukraine war, but the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has collapsed. Russia and Ukraine are still attacking each other despite U.S. mediation efforts. So these haven't been quick successes that Trump had hoped for.
All right. So to the bombing campaign in Yemen that the Trump administration say was successful, enough evidence so far to say that?
Hey, not yet. Now, the U.S. forces have bombed the Houthis now for nearly two weeks, but we're getting relatively little information. Trump's team says the campaign will be much more robust than it was under the Biden administration and that they'll halt the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which the Houthis describe as solidarity with the Palestinians.
But the Houthis have proved very tough, and it's just not clear whether a U.S. bombing campaign, even if it's sustained for a while... can end these attacks and return shipping to normal levels.
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