A journalist was mistakenly added to a top-level U.S. Government chat discussing military strikes
The U.S. launched airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi targets on 15 March. But journalist Jeffrey Goldberg knew hours earlier—because the Trump administration accidentally included him in a top-secret Signal chat about the operation.
At 11:44 a.m. that day, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s secretary of defense, sent Goldberg the war plan, detailing weapons, targets, and the strike’s timing. Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, initially assumed it was a hoax. But as the conversation continued, featuring top officials like Vice President JD Vance and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, the alarming reality set in: he had been given real-time access to high-level military deliberations.
The chat group, named “Houthi PC small group,” included figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Over days, they debated the attack’s timing and political implications, with Vance warning it contradicted Trump’s stance on Europe and could spike oil prices. Hegseth, however, argued the strikes must proceed to “restore freedom of navigation” and “re-establish deterrence.”
By 14 March, the conversation intensified. Vance questioned whether the U.S. should act as Europe’s “protector,” while Hegseth mocked European “free-loading.” A participant believed to be Stephen Miller concluded that military action should come with financial demands on allies.
Goldberg, still unsure if he was witnessing an elaborate hoax, finally had his answer at 1:54 p.m. the next day—when the bombs started falling on Yemen. The journalist had, by accident, become an observer of one of the Trump administration’s most sensitive military decisions.
