Egypt Daily News – Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, made a stunning revelation on Monday: President Donald Trump’s national security team mistakenly added him to a top-secret chat about military strikes in Yemen.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz initiated the conversation on Signal, an encrypted messaging app, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Others in the chat included a CIA representative, Trump adviser Stephen Miller, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Goldberg, a veteran Washington journalist, was unexpectedly added to the group and found himself privy to highly sensitive discussions.
“It should go without saying—but I’ll say it anyway—that I have never been invited to a White House principals-committee meeting,” Goldberg wrote in The Atlantic. “In my many years of reporting on national-security matters, I had never heard of one being convened over a commercial messaging app.”
The debacle revealed critical operational details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, is now facing scrutiny over the alarming security lapse.
Goldberg recalled that “Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m.” The strikes on Yemen began shortly after 2 p.m. Asked about the report, Trump dismissed it, telling reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business.”
Pressed on the Signal chat, Trump added, “It couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” Goldberg detailed his disbelief upon realizing the chat was real. Initially, he suspected a “disinformation operation” but soon recognized it as legitimate when “the bombs started falling.”
He was particularly alarmed that Waltz had included him in discussions with top U.S. officials, including the vice president. In the chat, he appeared as “JG.” Speculation arose that Waltz may have intended to add Jamieson Greer, a U.S. Trade Representative with the same initials.
For national security reasons, Goldberg withheld certain sensitive details from his report but noted that Hegseth’s messages included specifics about targets, weaponry, and attack sequencing.
The White House did not immediately comment, but the National Security Council confirmed the chat’s authenticity.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, “We will not comment, and you should contact the White House.”
The security breach is staggering
Trump had ordered the strikes as a warning to Iran, targeting Houthi rebels attacking ships in the Red Sea linked to Israel, the U.S., and the UK. Waltz had named the Signal chat “Houthi PC small group” to coordinate the operation.
Vance expressed concerns in the chat, noting, “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.” He warned of potential oil price spikes and suggested delaying the strikes.
Hegseth acknowledged the concern but pushed forward. Ultimately, Vance relented: “If you think we should do it, let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
As Goldberg monitored the exchange, he was astonished that no one noticed his presence. Realizing that if the chat was real, strikes would begin at 1:45 p.m. ET, he sat in a supermarket parking lot, waiting. At 1:55 p.m., he checked X (formerly Twitter) for updates. Reports of explosions in Yemen confirmed the attack was underway.
Back in the chat, congratulatory messages and emojis flooded in. Waltz sent a fist, an American flag, and a fire emoji. Wiles wrote, “Kudos to all—most particularly those in theater and CENTCOM! Really great. God bless.”
Goldberg then voluntarily left the chat and reached out to officials for comment.
National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes responded, confirming the chat’s authenticity and attributing Goldberg’s inclusion to an “inadvertent” mistake.
Criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of classified information erupted.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon, a House Armed Services Committee member, slammed the use of unsecured communication channels: “I’ve accidentally sent the wrong person a text. We all have. The unconscionable action was sending this info over non-secure networks.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R) added, “Classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels—certainly not to those without security clearances, including reporters. Period.”
Democratic Senator Andy Kim called for Hegseth’s firing: “Really dumb and epically irresponsible. People need to lose their jobs over this.”
Legal experts also weighed in, suggesting that Waltz may have violated provisions of the Espionage Act, which governs the handling of national defense information. Additionally, the use of Signal may have violated the Presidential Records Act, which mandates the preservation of all presidential records. Signal’s disappearing messages raise concerns about compliance.
Ironically, Trump built his 2016 campaign on attacking Hillary Clinton for using a private email server for government business, repeatedly leading chants of “Lock her up!”
Now, his own administration faces intense scrutiny for handling top-secret war plans on an unsecured messaging app—accidentally sharing them with a journalist in the process.
