Atlantic editor reveals details of war plans text chain
The editor added to a top secret text chain about a US strike on Yemen reveals why he’s glad they didn’t “invite a Houthi into the group” as Congress descends into chaos over the breach.
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The magazine editor who found himself looped into a top secret US war plan group text has revealed more about the contents of the messages.
The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg told MSNBC he was astonished to receive a stream of updates of “what was about to happen” as America prepared to strike Yemen on March 15.
Mr Goldberg was added to the “Houthi PC small group” Signal chain on March 11 by President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz along with the likes of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance.
Meanwhile, Democrats gleefully tore strips off Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during a timely Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing.
Among those to take aim was Senator Angus King who was incensed after Ms Gabbard testified that “there were no classified or intelligence equities that were included in that chat group.”
.@SenAngusKing: "So the attack sequencing and timing and weapons and targets you don't consider to have been classified?"
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 25, 2025
DNI Gabbard: "I defer to the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council..."
King: "You're the head of the intelligence community." pic.twitter.com/R59vbevaSx
“So the attack sequencing and timing and weapons and targets you don’t consider to have been classified?” Senator King asked.
“I defer to the Secretary of Defence and the National Security Council,” Ms Gabbard replied.
“You’re the head of the intelligence community,” Senator King shot back.
He then challenged her to release the entire text stream to the public given it was “not classified”.
Senator Mark Warner also took a shot at Ms Gabbard labelling the incident as “sloppy” and one that could have “endangered American lives”.
Mr Goldberg spoke out after Mr Hegseth threw doubt over The Atlantic’s reporting of the incident, describing the long-time editor as “deceitful and highly discredited.”
“I mean, you know, he can say that it wasn’t a war plan, but it was a minute-by-minute accounting of what was about to happen, organised by CENTCOM, Central Command, which is the military oversight group of the Middle East, the broader Middle East,” Mr Goldberg said.
“It’s interesting because as I’m reading it at 11.44am on Saturday morning, the 15th, seeing that the Houthis are not going to know about this for another couple of hours, and I know about it, and I’m thinking to myself, I mean, honestly, I’m thinking to myself, ‘well, I’m glad that Mike Waltz didn’t invite a Houthi into the group or a Russian spy or an adversary of the United States’.”
Mr Goldberg said he would not be revealing anything from the text chain that could potentially jeopardise national security.
“Look, I’m going to be responsible here and not disclose the things that I read and saw. I will describe them to you,” Mr Goldberg said.
“The specific time of a future attack; specific targets, including human targets meant to be killed in that attack; weapon system; even weather reports.
“I mean, the precise detail, and then a long section on sequencing: ‘This is gonna happen, then that is gonna happen. After that happens, this happens, then that happens, and then we go and find out if it worked’.”
Mr Goldberg also shared screenshots from the group chat with The New York Post including a message from Mr Hegseth replying to a comment made earlier by Mr Vance.
“VP (referring to Mr Vance) I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It’s PATHETIC,” Mr Hegseth wrote.
Mr Trump has defended Mr Waltz in an interview with NBC.
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Mr Trump said adding that the incident had “no impact at all” on the strikes which were “perfectly successful.”
“The only glitch in two months and it turned out not to be a serious one,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Hegseth has slammed The Atlantic in the wake of the media storm.
“Nobody was texting war plans and that’s all I have to say about that,” Mr Hegseth said.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed to the Post the group chat “appears to be an authentic message chain” and investigations as to how an “inadvertent number” was added were ongoing.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it “one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence” in modern times.
US INTELLIGENCE BREACH FURTHER ERODES AUS, ALLIED TRUST
As Donald Trump’s administration insults allies including Canada and European nations, and moves closer to traditional adversaries such as Russia, the security breach could further erode trust, US Rep. Mark Warner said at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
“The intelligence we gather to keep Americans safe depends on a lot of allies around the world who have access to sources we don’t have. That sharing of information saves lives, and it’s not hypothetical,” said Warner, the top Democrat on the panel.
“However, these relationships are not built in stone. They’re not dictated by law. Things like the Five Eyes are based on trust,” he said, referring to an intelligence-sharing alliance between the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Warner said that “trust is now breaking, literally overnight,” adding that the security breach was “a pattern we’re seeing too often repeated.”
“Mistakes do happen” with Five Eyes intelligence, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday.
“What’s important is how people react to those mistakes and how they tighten them up... And part of that response is to be more and more Canadian in our defense capabilities,” he continued.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson praised the close relationship with the United States, particularly on defense and security, adding: “we expect that to continue.” National security experts have expressed shock at the seemingly reckless use of a publicly-available instant messaging app to discuss US military actions, while a comment by Hegseth about “pathetic” Europeans “freeloading” off US military might have further fuelled outrage at the Trump administration’s stance on Europe.
Mr Trump, however, backed his Pentagon chief Tuesday.
“Yeah, I think they’ve been freeloading,” he told reporters when asked if he agreed with the comments on Europe.
HOUTHI MEDIA ACCUSE U.S. OF NEW STRIKES
Houthi media in Yemen reported new strikes in the Iran-backed rebels’ Saada heartland on Tuesday, blaming the United States for the attacks.
The rebels’ Al-Masirah TV said its correspondent in the area had reported “US aggression with two raids on Sahar district”.
On March 15 the United States announced a new military offensive against the Houthis, promising to use overwhelming force until the group stopped firing on vessels in the key shipping routes of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
That day saw a wave of US air strikes that officials said killed senior Huthi leaders, and which the rebels’ health ministry said killed 53 people.
Since then, Houthi-held parts of Yemen have witnessed near-daily attacks that the group has blamed on the US, with the rebels announcing the targeting of US military ships and Israel.
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to annihilate the Huthis and warned Tehran against continuing to aid the group.
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Originally published as Atlantic editor reveals details of war plans text chain
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