In an unexpected occurrence, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was added to a Signal group chat involving Trump administration officials who were discussing plans for an airstrike in Yemen. This inclusion was reportedly a result of an error by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who had Goldberg saved as a contact on his phone and inadvertently added him to the group. Initially, Waltz explained that Goldberg’s phone number was pulled from another contact, to which Goldberg skeptically responded, referencing the improbability of the situation.
However, an internal investigation by the White House’s information technology office revealed a more intricate explanation. According to the report, an iPhone auto-suggestion feature played a significant role. The sequence began when Goldberg emailed the White House to seek comments on a story, prompting Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes to forward the email’s content to Waltz via text message. Consequently, Waltz’s iPhone issued a “contact suggestion update,” mistakenly saving Goldberg’s phone number under Hughes’ name. When Waltz attempted to add Hughes—currently serving as a spokesperson for the National Security Council—to the chat, he inadvertently added Goldberg instead.
Goldberg has commented on his association with Waltz, noting simply that he knows and has communicated with him, without providing further details.
