Michael Waltz 'learned his lesson' - but which one?
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Trump said his national security adviser Mike Waltz (pictured) was a good man who had learned his lesson
It's not a scandal, it's a "glitch". And "not a serious one" at that.
At least, this is how Donald Trump is labelling the mistakes that led to a prominent journalist being included in a high-level administration group chat about recent US strikes on Houthi forces in Yemen.
The president's comments to NBC News arrived after hours of speculation and uncertainty over how he would react to what appears to be a stunning breach of operational security – and a possible violation of federal law.
Was he fuming? Was he weighing whom to hold accountable? Was he preparing to lash out at perceived enemies?
No, no and no. That is, at least if Trump’s first public comments are any indication. He emphasised that the Houthi strikes were successful – which has become the White House's main response to concerns over the seriousness of the security breach. And he stood by his embattled national security adviser, who seems to have inadvertently invited the journalist into the chat.
"Michael Waltz has learned a lesson," Trump said, "and he's a good man."
Exactly what that "lesson" may be is unclear.
Don't invite journalists to government group chats? Don't conduct such conversations on commercial messaging apps? Don't risk violating federal laws governing recordkeeping and the handling of sensitive national security data?
In the days ahead, reporters and political adversaries are going to want more detailed answers from the president, even if at the moment he appears to believe the controversy will eventually blow over.
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