Trump national security team messaged plans for Yemen strikes to Atlantic editor in chief in stunning breach
WASHINGTON — The Atlantic magazine’s editor in chief was included on a message chain in which top Trump administration officials — including Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz — discussed strikes against the Houthi terror group in Yemen, in a stunning breach of national security.
Jeffrey Goldberg revealed the jaw-dropping mishap Monday, writing he connected with Waltz on Signal March 11 and was invited to join a chain called the “Houthi PC small group” two days later, He received a stream of internal deliberations and operational details, including Vance disagreeing with President Trump about the attack.
The bombs fell on the Middle Eastern country March 15, with the Trump administration claiming to have “taken out” multiple leaders of the Iran-backed Houthis.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told The Post that the Signal chain that included Goldberg “appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
Trump pleaded ignorance when asked Monday afternoon about the staggering snafu.
“You’re telling me about this for the first time,” the president told reporters. “Having to do with what? What were they talking about?”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said: “President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.”
| THEY SAY … | BUT … |
|---|---|
| National security adviser Michael Waltz said, “I’ve never met, don’t know” and “never communicated with” Atlantic editor Jeffery Goldberg. President Trump says it was “one of Michael’s people” who added Goldberg to the Signal chat. | Atlantic top editor Jeffrey Goldberg says he received a Signal request “from a user identified as Michael Waltz.” Waltz told Fox News he created the group and somehow Goldberg’s contact number got “sucked” onto someone else’s name in his address book. |
| Officials including Trump insist no “classified information” was discussed. | Even if it doesn’t fit the definition of “classified,” it was certainly sensitive and the administration is against releasing the portions Goldberg held back. “Information about an active operation would presumably fit the law’s definition of ‘national defense’ information,” Goldberg says. |
| “I do not remember mention of specific targets,” said Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence. | “It was, ‘At 1:45, this is going to happen. At 1:52, this is going to happen,’ ” Goldberg insists. “The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets and timing.” |
| It was an ordinary discussion and did not compromise national security, the White House insists. | “The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel,” Goldberg says. |
| Some commentators have suggested that Goldberg, a well-known liberal adversary of Trump, was added to the group on purpose by an aide trying to undermine the administration. | The White House hasn’t backed that theory and presumably they would very easily know exactly who added Goldberg. |
The incident drew bipartisan outcry from Capitol Hill, with Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) writing on X: “This administration is playing fast and loose with our nation’s most classified info, and it makes all Americans less safe.”
“Classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels — and certainly not to those without security clearances, including reporters. Period,” added Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). “Safeguards must be put in place to ensure this never happens again.”
“I’ve accidentally sent the wrong person a text. We all have,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). “The unconscionable action was sending this info over non-secure networks. None of this should have been sent on non-secure systems. Russia and China are surely monitoring [Hegseth’s] unclassified phone.”
Russian intelligence reportedly has targeted Signal through phishing attempts and a feature that allows the platform on multiple devices.
Hacking a phone also can allow access to Signal without breaking into the encrypted platform itself.
“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials,” Hughes insisted. “The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
Here is the latest on the Yemen Signal group-chat:
- ‘I’m floored’: Experts reveal ‘really scary’ info shared by Trump officials in Signal group chat
- House Dems hint at perjury rap for intel chiefs over Signal chat leak: ‘A lie to the country’
- Steve Witkoff did not use Signal while in Russia, White House says
- Atlantic publishes more ‘war plan’ Signal texts, including minute-by-minute details and weapons to use in Yemen strikes
- Atlantic editor Jeff Goldberg weighs ‘obligation’ of releasing more ‘war plans’ texts – as he reveals undercover CIA agent’s identity was exposed
- Trump feels ‘very comfortable’ after being briefed on Houthi attack text scandal, blames ‘lower level’ Waltz staffer for mishap
- Trump national security team messaged plans for Yemen strikes to Atlantic editor-in-chief in stunning breach
Vance: ‘We are making a mistake’
Top administration officials on the Signal chat included someone identified only as “MAR,” the same initials as Secretary of State Marco Rubio; CIA director John Ratcliffe; special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff; White House chief of staff Susie Wiles; someone named “S M,” thought to be deputy White House chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller; and someone named “TG,” which Goldberg believed to be Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Goldberg claimed that he was signed into the chat with just his initials “JG,” suggesting Waltz or a subordinate had mistaken his Signal info for that of Jamieson Greer — the US Trade Representative who often attends National Security Council meetings.
Initially, when Goldberg received a connection request from Waltz, he was skeptical that it was from Trump’s actual national security adviser and suspected it may have been someone “masquerading” as him.
But then on March 13, Waltz instructed participants on the “Houthi PC small group” to provide the best point of contact from their team to help with correspondence over that coming weekend.
“Team, you should have a statement of conclusions with taskings per the Presidents [sic] guidance this morning in your high side inboxes,” Waltz texted the group at 8:05 a.m. March 14, using the term “high side” to refer to classified computer systems.
“State and DOD [Defense Department], we developed suggested notification lists for regional Allies and partners. Joint Staff is sending this am a more specific sequence of events in the coming days and we will work w DOD to ensure COS [Chief of Staff], OVP [Office of the Vice President] and POTUS are briefed.”
Vance, who was traveling to Michigan for an economy-focused event, told the group that “I think we are making a mistake” with the strikes.
“[Three] percent of US trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does,” said the veep. “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.”
“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now,” Vance went on. “There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices. I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.”
Another user named Joe Kent, the same moniker as Trump’s pick to run the National Counterterrorism Center, argued that “There is nothing time sensitive driving the time line” and stressed, “We’ll have the exact same options in a month.”
Hegseth replied to Vance that ” I understand your concerns” and argued that “messaging is going to be tough no matter what – nobody knows who the Houthis are – which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.” The Pentagon boss argued in favor of following through on an attack, stressing the importance of not looking indecisive.
“Whether it’s now or several weeks from now,” Waltz chimed in, “it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes. Per the president’s request we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans.”
Vance then seemingly backed down, telling Hegseth, “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
“VP,” Hegseth answered, “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”
At that point, the account believed to be Stephen Miller chimed in and said: “As I heard it, the president was clear: green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return.”
The following day, on March 15, Hegseth gave an update to the team at 11:44 a.m. with operational details about the strikes on Yemen, which were reported by news outlets a couple of hours later. Goldberg did not divulge the specific message due to concerns about jeopardizing US military and intelligence capabilities.
“I will say a prayer for victory,” Vance replied in the group.
Goldberg later removed himself from the group chat and reached out to officials including Waltz, Hegseth, and Gabbard and others about the lapse.
A spokesperson for Vance later downplayed the appearance of daylight between the veep and Trump over the attack.
“The Vice President’s first priority is always making sure that the President’s advisers are adequately briefing him on the substance of their internal deliberations,” spokesperson William Martin told The Atlantic. “Vice President Vance unequivocally supports this administration’s foreign policy. The President and the Vice President have had subsequent conversations about this matter and are in complete agreement.”
‘Suckers’ and ‘losers’ author
Goldberg’s inclusion in the group chat was stunning for a number of reasons — including the fact that he authored a disputed 2020 article accusing Trump of disparaging US troops buried in France as “suckers” and “losers.”
Trump vehemently denied saying so, but the allegation was cited as fact by Democrats, including regularly by former President Joe Biden — even after the lede of Goldberg’s piece was debunked by a Freedom of Information Act release.
The author claimed that Trump falsely “blamed rain for the last-minute decision” to cancel a cemetery visit near Paris in 2018 by “saying that ‘the helicopter couldn’t fly’ and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true.”
Navy records showed that military personnel made a “bad weather call” that canceled the helicopter flight, which typically happens when low cloud cover makes it unsafe to land.
Goldberg never corrected his story.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon referred The Post to Hughes’ statement.
“I have two very short things to say to you,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters at her Monday afternoon briefing. “First is that we will not comment on the Secretary’s deliberative conversations. And, secondly, that you should contact the White House.”
