Signalgate: US Airstrike Plans Accidentally Revealed Over Text

Photo via The White House Youtube/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

“New Phone, Houthis?”

Nearly everyone has sent a text message to the wrong contact, or mistakenly added a different person to a group chat than they intended. It is an embarrassing but harmless mistake that typically has few consequences. However, this type of mistake is not expected from the U.S. government, yet that is exactly what happened when a Washington, D.C. journalist was added into a group chat where top national security leaders were discussing an upcoming military strike.

On March 11, The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffery Goldberg received a connection request on Signal from Michael Waltz, the U.S. National Security Adviser. Signal, an open-source, encrypted service used for messaging and calls, is a popular messaging app used by journalists who desire more privacy than other popular messaging services. Goldberg was later added to a group chat by Waltz, titled “Houthi PC small group.” Waltz had apparently created this group chat to discuss plans for upcoming military actions in Yemen.

The Houthis are an Iran-backed terrorist organization who have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since October 2023. That has prevented shipping companies from using these trade routes to export oil and other goods. Former President Joe Biden initiated airstrikes on Houthi targets in January 2024, but President Donald Trump has increased the number of strikes and has said that the U.S. will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.

Goldberg had initially believed the messages to be a hoax. To him, it seemed completely absurd that the national security leadership of the U.S. would be meeting on a messaging app to discuss upcoming military action, and that they would also invite the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine into that conversation. Additionally, it was not at all uncommon for outsiders to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them. However, as the messages continued, it became increasingly clear that this was not a hoax, and Goldberg was certain that it was a legitimate group chat.

Photo via United States Federal Government/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

On March 15, at 11:44 a.m., a text was sent by Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, that outlined precise information on weapons, targets and timing on the upcoming strikes in Yemen. These strikes were set to be deployed at 1:45 p.m. Eastern time, and Golberg reasoned that if these messages were real — as he suspected they were — Houthi targets would soon be bombed.

At 1:48 p.m., Waltz provided the chat with an update: 

Photo via United States Federal Government/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

The Houthi-run Yemeni health ministry reported that the strikes killed 53 people, including 5 children, and 98 people have been wounded. This number has not been confirmed. 

With Waltz’s confirmation on the airstrikes, Goldberg was left with absolute certainty he had been added to a legitimate U.S. government group message. His presence alone in the chat has raised many questions about the U.S.’s national security. If this group message had been discovered by a foreign adversary, the information could have been used to harm U.S. military and intelligence personnel deployed in the Middle East.

It is worth noting that former U.S. officials have used Signal to communicate amongst one another in the past. They claimed they would share unclassified information and discuss routine matters, particularly when traveling overseas without access to U.S. government systems. However, they also knew to never share classified information on the app because their phones could have been hacked by a foreign intelligence service and the information could be used against the U.S.

The group chat included 19 people, many of whom are top members of Trump's cabinet and national security team. Some of the most notable members included:

Vice President JD Vance

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard

Trump was notably absent from this group message.

Many people have been questioning how a security breach like this could have occurred in the first place. While many theories have circulated the internet, the most likely theory is that Waltz added the wrong ‘JG,’ to the group message. He had meant to invite Jamieson Greer, the trade representative for the U.S., but added Jeffery Goldberg instead. It is likely that Greer and Goldberg were both saved in Waltz’s phone as ‘JG,’ leading to this mixup.

This is not the first time classified information has been mistakenly disclosed to the public. In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked thousands of classified documents that revealed numerous global surveillance programs to journalists; the material would later appear in The Guardian, The Washington Post and other publications. Snowden was charged with two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property. 

This prior breach of intelligence and national security is similar to what Waltz and Hegseth have done and can provide some foresight of the legal actions to come.  

The Espionage Act of 1917 made it a federal crime to interfere with war efforts, including obtaining, recording, or sharing national defense information. By discussing classified military actions over an unprotected messaging app, Waltz may have violated the Espionage Act and can provide prosecutors a legal basis to bring charges against himself or Hegseth.

Waltz has claimed responsibility for the group chat. On March 25, he said,  "I take full responsibility. I built the group,” but the Trump administration has denied that any classified information was shared in the group chat. In a statement on March 26, Hegseth’s spokesman said that there were no classified materials or war plans shared. The Secretary was merely updating the group on a plan that was underway.

While Democrats and some Republicans have been calling for a federal investigation, no actions have been taken.

As of March 30, this story is ongoing. The Trump administration has denied these claims.