Many journalists have stories of how they’ve been inadvertently sent sensitive emails, texts and files, but The Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg‘s revelation likely tops them all: He was apparently accidentally added to a text chain of the highest ranking Trump administration national security officials as they outlined military strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a piece in The Atlantic posted today, Goldberg wrote that he received a connection request from a Signal user identifying himself as Michael Waltz, the national security adviser. Signal is an encrypted messaging app where texts can be made to disappear within a certain time frame. Goldberg said that he accepted the Signal request, “hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.”
Two days later, he received an invite to join a group titled “Houthi PC small group,” referring to the principals committee. Among those listed in the group were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, among others.
Over the next couple of days, they discussed the plans for action against the Houthis. Vance, however, wrote that he thought “we are making a mistake.” Vance wrote, “3 percent of US trade runs through the suez. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.”
On March 15, Hegseth texted “operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” Goldberg wrote. It also set 1:45 p.m. ET as the time the strikes would start. As it turned out, Goldberg noted, that it when the attacks started.
A spokesperson for the NSC confirmed the veracity of the Signal group to Goldberg. “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” the spokesperson wrote to Goldberg.
Trump has not yet commented on the inclusion of Goldberg in the chain.
Goldberg’s story quickly spread across social media. So far, among major cable networks, only CNN has done segments on the bombshell. In an interview with the network, Leon Panetta, secretary of defense during Barack Obama’s presidency, said, “It’s obviously a very serious mistake…I hope the White House takes this seriously.” He said that there should be a full investigation as to how it happened. As Panetta was being interviewed, MSNBC and Fox News stayed with video of Trump’s cabinet meeting, although Hegseth was not present.
Adding to the extraordinary nature of the story is that Goldberg is hardly regarded as a friendly figure in the president’s inner circle. Trump has previously targeted Goldberg and The Atlantic, including last year when the media outlet published a report on how the president had derisively referred to soldiers who had died in wars.
Some Democrats quickly seized on the story. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on X, “Pete Hegseth texting out war plans like invites to a frat party.”
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote on X, “Every single one of the government officials on this text chain have now committed a crime – even if accidentally – that would normally involve a jail sentence. We can’t trust anyone in this dangerous administration to keep Americans safe.”