In a significant security lapse, senior officials from the Trump administration inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, in a private group chat discussing classified military operations in Yemen. This incident has raised serious concerns about operational security and the protocols for handling sensitive information.
The group chat, conducted on the encrypted messaging app Signal, included high-ranking officials such as Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz mistakenly added Goldberg to the conversation, granting him access to detailed discussions about upcoming military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. These discussions encompassed specifics on weapons, targets, and timing of the operations.
Goldberg reported that he was added to the chat on March 11 and observed real-time deliberations on the military actions. He noted that the information shared was highly sensitive and, if accessed by adversaries, could have jeopardized U.S. military personnel and intelligence operations abroad. To verify the authenticity of the information, Goldberg monitored reports from Yemen and confirmed that the strikes occurred as discussed in the chat.
The National Security Council (NSC) acknowledged the breach, confirming the authenticity of the messages and stating that an investigation is underway to determine how Goldberg was added to the chat. NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes commented, “At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy co-ordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our service members or our national security,” he went on to add.
This incident has drawn sharp criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island described it as “one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen.” Similarly, Republican Congressman Mike Lawler emphasized that classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels, especially not to individuals without security clearances.
President Trump, when questioned about the breach, stated that he was unaware of the incident and criticized The Atlantic magazine, saying, “I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic, to me it’s a magazine that’s going out.”
European diplomats expressed shock over the breach, particularly due to the revealed disdain for European allies in the discussions. One diplomat remarked, “It’s unbelievable how warped his thinking is.”
The use of Signal for discussing classified information is a violation of established protocols, as the platform, despite its encryption, is not approved for such communications. This breach underscores the critical need for stringent adherence to security protocols when handling sensitive information to prevent potential threats to national security.
