US officials’ texts reveal disdain for ‘freeloading’ Europe amid Yemen strikes planning

Messages between Vance and Hegseth highlight how they believe European allies were ‘freeloading’ off US efforts to hit the Houthis

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Smoke rises from a neighbourhood following US air strikes in Sana’a, Yemen, on March 19. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:58pm, 25 Mar 2025

The exposure of private texts between top US officials offered unique insight into their planning for strikes against Houthi militants earlier this month. The messages also laid bare the full extent of their disdain for European allies.

A back and forth between Vice-President J.D. Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, exposed as part of an Atlantic magazine story on the texts on Monday, highlighted how they believe European allies were “freeloading” off US efforts to go after Houthi militants in Yemen.

“I just hate bailing Europe out again,” a user identified as Vance said in the chat, expressing reservations about whether to go ahead with the strikes. “And if there are things we can do upfront to minimise risk to Saudi oil facilities we should do it.”

“VP: I fully share your loathing of European freeloading,” Hegseth responded. “It’s PATHETIC.”

That back and forth was included in a series of texts received by The Atlantic’s top editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, after he was inadvertently added to a text group with top Trump administration officials who were planning attacks on the Houthis, a Yemeni militia that has menaced shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year.

The attacks went ahead soon after.