Trump officials lash out at journalist after Signal chat leak exposes sensitive military plans

Security experts say Signal requires a user to already have someone’s contact details to initiate a message

What began as a mistaken group chat invitation has exploded into the most embarrassing security leak of the Trump administration’s second term — and thrust The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg into the centre of Washington’s most combustible political scandal of the year, the BBC reported.

A message, a mistake, and a front-row seat to US war planning 

Earlier this month, Goldberg found himself added — apparently by accident — to a Signal group chat where senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, were openly discussing operational plans for upcoming military strikes on Yemen.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who created the group, later admitted to adding Goldberg by mistake. In an interview with the BBC, Goldberg described the surreal moment he received the invitation: “Next thing I know, I'm in this very strange chat group with the national security leadership of the United States.”

Goldberg, a veteran journalist, said he was initially sceptical and believed the message was a hoax. But as he watched discussions unfold — including details on aircraft, missiles, and the timing of strikes — it became clear that he had inadvertently gained access to one of the US government’s most sensitive conversations.

From scoop to scapegoat: Trump world attacks 

After Goldberg published his initial story in The Atlantic, detailing the security breach without revealing specific operational details, Trump administration officials lashed out. President Donald Trump called Goldberg a “sleazebag,” while Waltz and others labelled him a “liar” and “scum.”

On Wednesday, The Atlantic released the full text of the leaked chat messages, citing the administration’s denials that any classified material was shared. Goldberg said the decision to publish came after Trump and other officials falsely claimed there was “nothing to see.”

“If Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence, is texting me, telling me the attack was about to be launched on Yemen … that seems like sensitive information, war-planning information to me,” Goldberg said.

One of the leaked messages detailed when F-18 fighter jets would take off, the moment bombs would fall, and the exact timing of Tomahawk missile launches — all sent via a commercial messaging app on unsecured devices.

Security breach triggers wider concerns — but no firings yet 

Despite the scale of the leak, President Trump has stood by his team, dismissing the backlash as a media “witch-hunt.” Elon Musk, now serving as the White House’s “government efficiency czar,” has reportedly been asked by Waltz to investigate how the breach occurred — a move Goldberg ridiculed: “Most 8-year-olds could figure it out.”

Security experts say Signal requires a user to already have someone’s contact details to initiate a message. So while Waltz claims not to know Goldberg, he clearly had his phone number.

The White House’s handling of the scandal has sparked bipartisan calls for accountability. Goldberg noted the double standard: “If you’re an Air Force captain … and you mishandled sensitive information like this, you’d be fired, you’d be prosecuted.”

Goldberg leaves the chat, but scandal continues 

Despite the high-stakes nature of the leak, Goldberg says he made the ethical decision to leave the chat. “There’s a part of me that would love to see what else is happening in there,” he said, “but there are legal and ethical lines that I’m not willing to cross.”

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have begun demanding formal investigations. Meanwhile, questions swirl about whether any internal discipline will be imposed — or whether the episode will quietly fade without consequence.

“This is their move,” Goldberg said of the attacks against him. “You never defend, just attack. They invite me into this Signal chat — and now they’re attacking me as a sleazebag. I don’t even get it.”