Shocking: Journalist Accidentally Added to Secret US Military Chat

A Waltz staffer accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief to a secret Signal chat on a US strike against Houthi militants.

United States: In an unforeseen revelation, President Donald Trump disclosed that a staff member associated with national security advisor Mike Waltz’s office had inadvertently introduced Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, into an encrypted Signal group chat. This clandestine digital forum was designated for high-ranking Trump administration officials strategizing an imminent strike against Houthi militants in Yemen.

“It was someone from Michael’s team on the line. A staffer had his number saved,”

Trump confirmed in a phone interview with NBC when asked about Goldberg’s unexpected inclusion in the high-level discussion, according to Fox News.

Despite the startling security breach, Trump asserted that Goldberg’s presence in the chat had “absolutely no influence” on the military operation in Yemen.

Incompetence so severe that it could have gotten Americans killed.

There is no world in which this information should have been shared in non-secure channels. Hegseth is in so far over his head that he is a danger to this country and our men and women in uniform.… https://t.co/gD2Hyc5doY

— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) March 24, 2025

Goldberg, in an article published Monday, recounted the peculiar episode, stating that he was unintentionally admitted into a Signal chatroom labeled “Houthi PC Small Group” on March 11. The digital conclave was populated by prominent government figures, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and others.

Signal, a highly fortified messaging platform, offers an advanced layer of encryption akin to conventional texting and calling but with augmented security protocols ensuring that communication remains exclusive to its participants.

Members of the group reportedly deliberated over precise logistical aspects concerning targeted strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi faction in Yemen, including strategic timing.

“As per an extensive message from Hegseth, the initial detonations in Yemen were anticipated to manifest within two hours, precisely at 1:45 pm Eastern Time,” Goldberg detailed in his firsthand account. “So, I idled in my vehicle, parked at a supermarket. If this Signal discourse was legitimate, I surmised, then within moments, Houthi strongholds would be under bombardment. Around 1:55 pm, I checked X and searched for ‘Yemen.’ Reports of explosions echoing across Sanaa, the capital, had begun surfacing,” as per the reports by Fox News.

The inadvertent admittance of a journalist into this confidential war council has triggered an avalanche of indignation among Democratic lawmakers. Some have vociferously demanded the resignations of Hegseth and Waltz, while others insist upon congressional testimony regarding the debacle.

During a subsequent NBC interview on Tuesday, Trump came to Waltz’s defense.

“Michael Waltz has absorbed a critical lesson, and he is a man of integrity,” Trump stated during the phone conversation.

In a separate dialogue with Fox News on the same day, Trump reiterated his support for Waltz, affirming that the security advisor would not face dismissal over the mishap.

“He’s not being terminated,” Trump emphasized. “It was a blunder, yet there was nothing of consequence in that Signal thread.”

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung offered his assessment of the unfolding controversy in a post on X, dismissing The Atlantic’s exposé as “merely another recycled maneuver from the entrenched national security establishment.”

The Atlantic story is nothing more than a section of the NatSec establishment community running the same, tired gameplay from years past.

From the “Russia, Russia, Russia” hoax of the first term to the fake documents case of the last four years… at every turn anti-Trump forces…

— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) March 25, 2025

“From the ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ fabrication of the first term to the contrived document scandal of the past four years… at every juncture, anti-Trump operatives have sought to weaponize benign occurrences, converting them into faux scandals that complicit media outlets eagerly exploit to disseminate misinformation,” he remarked.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced this stance in a social media post on Tuesday, categorically denying any discussion of “war plans” within the chat and affirming that “no classified material was transmitted.”

“Jeffrey Goldberg is notorious for his sensationalist embellishments. Here are the undisputed facts about his latest fabrication,” Leavitt posted on X. “The White House Counsel’s Office has provided comprehensive guidance on secure communication protocols for President Trump’s senior officials.”

“As the National Security Council has indicated, the administration is actively investigating how Goldberg’s number was mistakenly appended to the group chat. Thanks to President Trump’s resolute and strategic leadership, as well as the diligence of those in the discussion, the strikes on Houthi targets were executed with precision and efficacy. Terrorists were neutralized, and that remains President Trump’s foremost priority,” she added.

Fox News Digital sought additional commentary from the White House regarding the situation but did not receive an immediate response.