President Donald Trump addressed the controversy Tuesday surrounding a Signal group chat used by National Security Council (NSC) officials to discuss military strikes against the Houthis. The issue gained traction after it was revealed that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was added to the chat, raising concerns over national security.
Speaking in a phone interview with NBC News, Trump clarified that the addition of Goldberg was an unintentional mistake by an NSC staffer working under National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
“It was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there,” Trump explained, though he did not disclose the identity of the staffer responsible.
Despite the uproar, Trump defended Waltz’s use of Signal, stating that it was an effective way for his team to coordinate swift and decisive military action.
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump said, adding that Goldberg’s presence in the chat had “no impact at all” on the strikes.
Trump also dismissed the controversy as overblown, noting that this was “the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one.”
In a separate development, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate, confirming that no classified material was shared in the chat, contradicting Goldberg’s implications.
Similarly, CIA Director John Ratcliffe refuted allegations that sensitive information was exposed, despite Goldberg’s claim that a CIA operative’s name was mentioned.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also pushed back against claims that war plans were disclosed, stating emphatically that “no classified material was sent to the thread.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed these statements in a post on X, affirming that Goldberg’s presence in the chat did not result in any breach of security.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, speaking publicly on the matter for the first time, dismissed the uproar as yet another media-manufactured scandal.
“There’s a lot of journalists in this city who have made big names for themselves making up lies about this president—whether it’s the Russia hoax or making up lies about Gold Star families. And this one in particular, I’ve never met, don’t know, never communicated with. And we are looking into and reviewing how the heck he got into this room,” Waltz said.
Waltz used the moment to highlight Trump’s decisive leadership in responding to Houthi aggression, contrasting it with what he described as Biden’s weak approach.
“Under Biden, global shipping was shut down. Pinprick attacks, months between them. Our destroyers being fired upon dozens of times. President Trump took decisive, active action with his national security team,” Waltz said.
He emphasized that Trump’s strong stance forced the world to take notice, stating:
“Took out the head missileer, knocked out missiles, knocked out headquarters, knocked out communication sites. And for once, as we hear from every one of our allies, thank God for American leadership again. Thank God for American strength.”
Waltz dismissed the controversy as an attempt by the media to distract from Trump’s victories, calling it “more hoaxes and nonsense.”
“A key part of our sovereignty is open ceilings and knocking the crap out of terrorists, which is exactly what your team and Pete Hegseth, a good friend and fellow veteran, is leading the charge on,” Waltz said, addressing Trump directly.
The media firestorm over the Signal chat incident appears to be yet another attempt to undermine Trump’s administration, but no evidence has emerged that any classified information was compromised. Meanwhile, Trump and his team remain focused on delivering decisive military action and ensuring that America remains strong on the world stage—something, as Waltz noted, that the world sorely missed under Biden.
