White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic of “sensationalist spin” in his now-viral report about a national security Signal chat where top Trump officials discussed airstrikes in Yemen.
On Monday, Jeffrey Goldberg, a long-time Trump critic, published a story saying national security adviser Mike Waltz added him to a group chat on March 15 that included Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Susie Wiles, and other officials.
The national security team discussed the forthcoming airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen during the chat on Signal, an open-source encrypted messaging service.
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But the group chat, titled “Houthi PC small group,” discussed no “war plans,” as Goldberg claimed, according to Leavitt.
Leavitt took to X on Tuesday morning to clear up the White House’s stance on Goldberg’s story.
She said “no classified material was sent to the thread” and “The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President [Donald] Trump’s top officials to communicate as safely and efficiently as possible.”
Leavitt echoed the National Security Council’s statement that the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the chat.
“This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” Brian Hughes, the spokesman for the National Security Council, told Goldberg. “The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
Leavitt reiterated the success of the strike on the Houthis, which Goldberg says he was aware of two hours before the rest of the world due to the discussion in the Signal chat.
“Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective,” Leavitt said. “Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump.”
Goldberg accused Waltz of potentially violating the Espionage Act, which governs the handling of “national defense” information. But the president’s confidence in his national security team has not faltered, according to Leavitt.
“Stories claiming otherwise are driven by anonymous sources who clearly do not speak to the President, and written by reporters who are thirsty for a ‘scoop,’” Leavitt wrote on X.
The president told NBC News’ Garrett Haake that he believes Goldberg’s story is essentially a non-issue, and that Goldberg’s presence on the chat had “no impact at all.”
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump said.
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