Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a Signal group chat with several Trump Administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in which they discussed “imminent war plans” earlier this month, the journalist wrote Monday.
The inadvertent messages, shared via the encrypted messaging app Signal, were sent to Goldberg in the days leading up to the U.S. launching air and naval strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. The strikes were made “in an effort to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea that the Houthis have disrupted for months with their own attacks,” The New York Times reported on March 15, the day the strikes took place.
The messages show the back-and-forth discussion between Trump Administration officials over whether the U.S. should strike the Houthis now or wait until April or later. There were 18 people included in the group chat, including Goldberg, who he says was accidentally added by Michael Waltz, President Trump’s national security advisor.
Vice President Vance initially expressed reservations about the plan, saying “I think we are making a mistake.” He said there is a “real risk” that the public “doesn’t understand this or why” a strike is necessary.
“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now. There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices,” Vice President Vance added. “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.”
Hegseth said he understood the vice president’s concerns and supported him raising them with President Trump.
“I think 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,” Hegseth said.
Later, after more discussion among the group, Vance said he supported the move.
“If you think we should do it let’s go,” Vance said. “I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
Goldberg noted the Trump Administration feels the U.S. Navy carries an unnecessarily heavy burden policing the seas for our European allies and other countries.
Hegseth told Vance “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.”
Shortly after, the U.S. began striking the Houthis.
Goldberg said he was shocked to have been included on the messages. He said he had met Waltz in the past but, given the “administration’s contentious relationship with journalists” and him personally, he initially felt his inclusion could be “part of a disinformation campaign.” But after lingering in the group chat for a few days, It was clear to him that his invite was simply a mistake.
“I also could not believe that the national security adviser to the president would be so reckless as to include the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic in such discussions with senior U.S. officials, up to and including the vice president,” Goldberg wrote on Monday.
The Trump White House on Monday confirmed Goldberg was accidentally added to the chat.
“This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” Brian Hughes, the spokesperson for the National Security Council, told The Atlantic.
“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
You can read Goldberg’s full story by clicking here.
