Journalist Accidentally Added to Secret Group Chat

March 27, 2025

In a shocking breach of national security now being dubbed the “Signal Scandal”, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to a classified White House group chat on Signal, where top officials were discussing military operations. The group included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

The embarrassing mistake happened on March 11, 2025, when Waltz, intending to coordinate an airstrike plan against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, added Goldberg to the group chat. Unaware of his presence, officials openly discussed target information, weapon systems, and attack timelines. Goldberg, realizing the error, chose not to engage but later reported the mishap, which has now exploded into a major controversy.

President Donald Trump dismissed the incident as a "minor error," stating, "Mistakes happen. It was just a mix-up by some staffer, nothing more." However, National Security Advisor Waltz took a different stance, admitting, "I take full responsibility for this mistake and am conducting a thorough review to ensure it doesn't happen again."

The administration’s inconsistent response has only added fuel to the fire.

Despite attempts by the White House to downplay the situation, The Atlantic published a detailed report including screenshots of the messages exchanged in the chat. The publication revealed internal debates about how to justify the planned strikes to the public and arguments about how to handle international backlash.

Goldberg himself commented,

"It’s mind-boggling that something like this could happen. To be included in a conversation of such gravity by mistake raises serious questions about how securely this administration handles classified information."

The incident has triggered bipartisan outrage, with Democrats demanding a full investigation into how a civilian journalist could be included in a classified chat. Republicans have expressed concern over the administration's inability to maintain secure communication channels.

“The fact that someone as high-profile as Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to this chat is mind-blowing. If this can happen to him, what other breaches are we not hearing about?” stated Senator Marco Rubio.

The “Signal Scandal” continues to escalate as White House officials struggle to address the breach and restore public confidence.

A screengrab from the Signal group shared by Jeffrey Goldberg shows discussion over Trump’s views ahead of the strikes in Yemen and the reactions after the raid. [TRT World]