A surprising mistake by top officials in Donald Trump’s administration led to a journalist getting added to a highly sensitive group chat. This happened just before the US launched military strikes on Yemen's Houthi rebels.

How did the journalist end up in the chat?

Jeffrey Goldberg, who is the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a private Signal group chat called "Houthi PC small group." This chat was supposed to be only for top US government officials to talk about an upcoming military attack on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The group included important people like National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who was in charge of planning the US response. Goldberg later said the group had 18 members.

Some of the key people were Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Others included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Trump’s Middle East and Ukraine envoy Steve Witkoff, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller. Goldberg even noticed his "initials"—"JG"—on "the  screen, which confirmed that he was officially part of the group chat.

What happened inside the group chat?

The leaked messages from this group chat showed that not all officials agreed with the strikes. Vice President JD Vance, who was at an economic event in Michigan, shared his doubts:

"Team, I am out for the day doing an economic event in Michigan. But I think we are making a mistake." He also warned, "I am not sure the president is aware of how inconsistent this is with his message to Europe right now. There's a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices."

Joe Kent, whom Trump had chosen to lead the National Counterterrorism Centre, agreed with Vance. He added, "There is nothing time-sensitive driving the timeline. We'll have the exact same options in a month."

Goldberg said he knew about the strikes two hours before they began. He explained, "I knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing."

The strikes started around 1:45 p.m. Eastern time, with explosions reported in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.

How did the officials react after the strikes?

Once the operation was over, the officials praised each other in the group chat. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz wrote, "Amazing job." CIA Director John Ratcliffe called it "a good start." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who appeared in the chat as "MAR," added, "Good job, Pete and your team!"

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also chimed in, saying, "Kudos to all—most particularly those in theatre and CENTCOM! Really great. God bless."

This mistake gave Goldberg an unexpected insider look into high-level US military decisions and revealed internal disagreements among top officials.

Who is Jeffrey Goldberg?

Jeffrey Goldberg, now 65, has been the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic since 2016. He first joined the magazine in 2007 as a national correspondent. Under his leadership, The Atlantic won its first Pulitzer Prizes.

Goldberg has had a long career in journalism, working with The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The New York Times Magazine. He also served in the Israel Defence Forces earlier in his life.

This strange incident highlights how a simple mistake can lead to serious security breaches—and expose private government discussions to the public.

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