Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, has remained silent regarding his ties with national security adviser Mike Waltz, who accidentally included him in a group chat discussing the U.S.’s highly classified plans to bomb Yemen just days ago.
“I’m simply not going to discuss my relationship with Mike Waltz,” Goldberg stated during a CBS News interview on Wednesday.
Waltz asserted that he has “never met” Goldberg, wouldn’t recognize him in a police lineup, and criticized his reputation, labeling him as “the bottom scum of journalists.” However, earlier on Wednesday, images emerged online depicting the two together at a 2021 event at the French Embassy.
“If your eyes see us together, then I suppose your eyes are indeed seeing us together,” Goldberg remarked concerning the photos.
Waltz has suggested that Goldberg somehow added himself to the Signal chat that included Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, or that some technical error caused the lapse. Goldberg dismissed these claims as “crazy.”
“Here’s what occurred on March 11,” Goldberg elaborated. “I received a message request from Michael Waltz. I accepted that request. That’s the sequence of events.” Signal permits users to add individuals to group chats only through phone numbers, QR codes, or usernames.
“If I’m such a sinister character,” Goldberg questioned, “why is my number in Mike Waltz’s contacts? Why is he including me in this chat? And what do they expect a reporter to do upon learning intriguing information regarding military actions being considered by the administration? What do they genuinely anticipate will happen?”
Goldberg waited more than a week after the Yemen strikes before releasing details from the message thread. On Monday, he published an article explaining how he was added to the 18-person chat and characterized parts of the discussion regarding bombing Houthi targets, as he felt the specifics were too sensitive to directly quote. However, following repeated denials from group chat members and President Trump regarding the classified nature of the information, Goldberg confirmed with the administration about potential redactions before publishing the text messages concerning the strikes on Wednesday.
The subsequent messages revealed that Hegseth provided the group with detailed information about the strikes targeting Houthi rebels earlier this month, including a timeline for jet departures and the types of weapons that would be utilized.
Goldberg emphasized the public’s right to access this information and be able to assess the situation independently. “The public deserves to know if there’s a significant breach of national security within the United States. There’s clear evidence that national security officials are discussing real-time intelligence and military details on a public messaging app that shouldn’t be used for such purposes,” Goldberg declared. “When journalists uncover a major national security breach, it’s our responsibility to inform the public.”
