US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz used the Signal messaging app to discuss potential peace settlements for the war in Ukraine apart from the discussions about strikes against Houthi rebels, which caused a huge scandal recently.
Waltz accidentally added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a Signal group chat that included senior Trump administration officials, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Vice President JD Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to The Atlantic, Goldberg gained access to sensitive discussions about military strikes against Yemeni Houthi positions, including details about timing, weaponry, and targets. The messages disclosed included specific timings for deploying F-18 jets, MQ-9 drones, and Tomahawk missiles, as well as real-time intelligence updates during the operation.
Critics argue that the nature of the discussions was sensitive and potentially jeopardized national security.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed American officials, that Waltz also communicated with government officials about military operations and potential pathways to peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Politico sources claimed that “the president was furious that Waltz could be so stupid,” though Trump later publicly defended his advisor, stating he “learned his lesson.”
Waltz lost influence with the president and backing from senior White House aides at a critical time when the administration is working on peace negotiations and facing potential escalation in the Middle East, according to US officials.
Wall Street Journal reports that for Trump, Waltz’s greatest transgression wasn’t creating a Signal chat to coordinate Houthi strikes or posting Israeli intelligence on an unsecured network, but rather having Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg’s contact information and accidentally adding him to the conversation.
Despite the controversy, the US President reportedly has no plans to dismiss his national security advisor.
According to people close to Trump, the president was reluctant to give “the media and Democrats a scalp so early in his second administration,” as that would acknowledge wrongdoing.
“If news of the Signal chat had first appeared in a conservative media outlet such as Breitbart, Waltz would be gone,” one source told the Wall Street Journal.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, was tasked with investigating the incident. During public testimony, high-ranking national security officials reportedly shifted responsibility for the information leak to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
