The editor-in-chief of the anti-Trump The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg was reportedly added to a group chat with Trump cabinet members and other top officials that was created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to coordinate potential United States military strikes against Houthis two days before they happened, according to the magazine.
According to The Atlantic, Waltz reportedly set up the group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal on March 13 to coordinate the strikes, and appeared to have accidentally added Goldberg to it.
The 18 members of the group chat included Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, someone believed to be Homeland Security Advisor and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and others.
The group chat was called “Houthi PC small group,” with PC meaning “Principles Committee” — a reference to the group of top decision-makers from each agency during National Security Council meetings.
Waltz reportedly sent the following message on March 13:
Team — establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.
Pls provide the best staff POC from your team for us to coordinate with over the next couple days and over the weekend. Thx.
Members of the group chat then sent names for points of contact for them on the strikes.
The next day, Waltz told the group they should have received messages in their classified computer and communications systems regarding taskings.
Goldberg said a “fascinating policy discussion commenced.”
Vance said regarding the strikes, “I think we are making a mistake,” adding, “3 percent of US trade runs through the Suez. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.”
“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now. There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices. I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.,” he argued.
A person identified as former CIA official and retired Green Beret Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joe Kent, Trump’s nominee for director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote, “There is nothing time sensitive driving the time line. We’ll have the exact same options in a month.”
Ratcliffe then reportedly sent a message that “contained information that might be interpreted as related to actual and current intelligence operations.”
Hegseth reportedly wrote, “VP: I understand your concerns — and fully support you raising w/ POTUS. Important considerations, most of which are tough to know how they play out (economy, Ukraine peace, Gaza, etc). I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what — nobody knows who the Houthis are — which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.”
He reportedly added, “Waiting a few weeks or a month does not fundamentally change the calculus. 2 immediate risks on waiting: 1) this leaks, and we look indecisive; 2) Israel takes an action first — or Gaza cease fire falls apart — and we don’t get to start this on our own terms. We can manage both. We are prepared to execute, and if I had final go or no go vote, I believe we should. This [is] not about the Houthis. I see it as two things: 1) Restoring Freedom of Navigation, a core national interest; and 2) Reestablish deterrence, which Biden cratered. But, we can easily pause. And if we do, I will do all we can to enforce 100% OPSEC—operations security. I welcome other thoughts.”
Waltz then reportedly posted a “lengthy note” about trade figures, and the limited capabilities of European navies.
“Whether it’s now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes. Per the president’s request we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans,” Waltz said.
Vance then reportedly wrote to Hegseth, “if you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
Hegseth responded: “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”
The person identified as potentially Miller wrote, “As I heard it, the president was clear: green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return. We also need to figure out how to enforce such a requirement. EG, if Europe doesn’t remunerate, then what? If the US successfully restores freedom of navigation at great cost there needs to be some further economic gain extracted in return.”
Hegseth reportedly responded, “Agree.”
On the morning of the strikes, Hegseth reportedly posted an update that allegedly contained operational details of the forthcoming strikes against the Houthis that included targets, types of weapons, and attack sequencing.
Vance reportedly responded, “I will say a prayer for victory,” and two others added a prayer emoji.
Goldberg said two hours later, explosions were being heard across the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
The group chat members then congratulated Hegseth and the military and discussed assessments of the damage, including the likely death of a specific individual.
Goldberg said he then removed himself from the chat and then sent several of its members questions.
Brian Hughes, National Security Council spokesman, responded two hours later, confirming the group chat was real.
“This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” he said. “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.”
William Martin, a spokesperson for Vance, said, “The Vice President’s first priority is always making sure that the President’s advisers are adequately briefing him on the substance of their internal deliberations.”
He added, “Vice President Vance unequivocally supports this administration’s foreign policy. The President and the Vice President have had subsequent conversations about this matter and are in complete agreement.”
According to CNN, Trump was asked about the report, to which he responded, “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business… You’re telling me about it for the first time.”
Goldberg is the journalist who published a hoax story claiming Trump called slain U.S. veterans “suckers” and “losers.”
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