National Security Advisor Michael Waltz has publicly accepted responsibility for a high-profile Signal messaging mishap that inadvertently included The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, in a confidential group chat discussing U.S. military plans targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen. Waltz addressed the incident during an appearance on The Ingraham Angle, calling the leak “embarrassing” and pledging to identify how the breach occurred.
“I take full responsibility. I built the group,” Waltz stated. “We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Goldberg had detailed the experience in a first-person article, explaining that he accepted what appeared to be a Signal contact request from Waltz on March 11 and was shortly thereafter added to a group labeled “Houthi PC Small Group.”
According to the account, top Trump administration officials were actively discussing upcoming strikes. The group reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The inclusion of a journalist in what was effectively a pre-strike coordination group raised serious concerns about operational security. However, both Waltz and White House officials maintain that no classified information was shared.
Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin. Here are the facts about his latest story:
1. No “war plans” were discussed.
2. No classified material was sent to the thread.
3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 25, 2025
President Donald Trump downplayed the incident, stating Goldberg’s presence had “no impact at all” on the mission and defending Waltz as “a good man” who had learned a valuable lesson. Trump also criticized The Atlantic, calling it “a magazine that’s going out of business.”
Waltz offered sharp words for Goldberg, claiming he did not know him personally but was familiar with his “horrible reputation.” He denied knowingly adding Goldberg and suggested the error stemmed from a mistaken contact entry. “You got somebody else’s number on someone else’s contact,” Waltz said, emphasizing that it was not the fault of a staffer.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed those statements, confirming that “no war plans were discussed” and “no classified material was sent to the thread.” She praised the effectiveness of the Yemen strike and credited Trump’s leadership for its success.
While some Democratic lawmakers have called for resignations over the apparent breach, there are no indications of disciplinary action being taken. Trump confirmed Waltz will remain in his position.