March 24, 2025, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, claimed that he was accidentally included in a Signal messaging group chat where top Trump administration officials were discussing military plans for strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. According to Goldberg’s article in The Atlantic, this breach occurred earlier in March 2025, shedding light on what he described as a significant security lapse by the administration.
The story began on March 11, when Goldberg received a connection request on Signal from someone identified as Michael Waltz, whom he assumed was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. Initially skeptical, Goldberg thought it might be a prank or disinformation attempt. However, on March 13, he was added to a group chat labeled “Houthi PC small group” (referring to a principals committee), which included senior officials like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and others.
On March 15, at 11:44 a.m. ET, Hegseth reportedly sent a detailed message to the group—still including Goldberg—outlining the war plans. This “TEAM UPDATE” contained specifics about targets, weapons, and the timing of the strikes, predicting the first detonations at 1:45 p.m. ET. Goldberg noted that the U.S. indeed began bombing Houthi targets in Yemen shortly before 2 p.m. that day, aligning with the timeline in the message. He chose not to quote the full text, citing potential risks to American personnel if the details were exposed to adversaries.
The National Security Council later confirmed the authenticity of the chat, with spokesman Brian Hughes stating they were investigating how an “inadvertent number” was added. Hughes emphasized that the operation’s success showed no immediate threat to national security, though the incident raised widespread concern. Critics, including lawmakers and national security experts, questioned why such sensitive discussions were held on Signal—a commercial encrypted app—rather than secure government systems. Some suggested it might violate laws like the Espionage Act or the Presidential Records Act, though no formal charges have been confirmed as of now.
Goldberg’s involvement with The Atlantic is central to the story, as his presence in the chat went unnoticed by the officials for days. He speculated that Waltz might have intended to add someone else with similar initials (like U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer), but the error exposed operational details to a journalist from a publication Trump has historically criticized. The incident sparked reactions ranging from disbelief to accusations of incompetence, with some calling it “amateur hour” and others demanding congressional hearings. Trump, when asked, claimed he was unaware of the situation, saying it was the first he’d heard of it.
Comments