Imagine checking your phone and seeing a notification that you've been added to a group chat. Happens all the time, right? But for Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, this wasn't a neighborhood BBQ invite. He had just been dropped into a high-level digital war room.
The question of who added Goldberg to the Signal chat isn't just a bit of Washington D.C. gossip. It is a story of a massive security blunder, a weird iPhone glitch, and a series of "oops" moments that could have had life-or-death consequences.
Honestly, it sounds like a plot from a political satire show. But it was very real.
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The Man Behind the Invite: Mike Waltz
If you want the short answer, it was Michael Waltz, the National Security Advisor.
Waltz admitted to the mistake during a pretty tense interview on Fox News with Laura Ingraham. He didn't try to pin it on a low-level intern or a "deep state" hack. He basically said, "I built the group, I'm taking the hit."
But the "how" is where it gets really bizarre. Waltz claims he doesn't even know Goldberg. In fact, he called him "the bottom scum of journalists" during that same interview. So, why on earth would he invite his supposed nemesis to watch the U.S. government plan military strikes?
The iPhone "Sucked It In"
According to an internal White House investigation, the whole thing started with an email.
Back in October 2024, Goldberg emailed the Trump campaign about a story he was working on. That email—which included Goldberg’s phone number in the signature—was forwarded to Brian Hughes, who was then a campaign spokesperson.
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Hughes copied the text of that email and sent it to Waltz to brief him. This is where the tech betrayal happened.
An iPhone feature (likely Siri Suggestions) detected the phone number in the text message and associated it with Brian Hughes. Essentially, Waltz's phone "thought" Goldberg's number was a secondary number for Hughes. Fast forward to March 13, 2025: Waltz tries to add Brian Hughes to a Signal group titled "Houthi PC small group." Instead of adding the spokesperson, he accidentally tapped the number that belonged to Goldberg.
What Was Actually in the Chat?
This wasn't just a chat about where to grab lunch. We’re talking about Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio all riffing in an encrypted group chat.
Goldberg watched in real-time as these officials debated the logistics of bombing Houthi targets in Yemen. He saw:
- Detailed operational timelines.
- The specific weapons systems being used (like F-18s and Tomahawk missiles).
- JD Vance complaining about "bailing Europe out" regarding Red Sea shipping.
- A string of celebratory emojis—fists, American flags, and fire—sent after the strikes were confirmed.
For a few days, Goldberg just sat there. He thought it was a prank. He thought maybe it was a "honey pot" trap set by the government to see if he'd publish classified info. But then the bombs actually dropped exactly when the chat said they would.
That's when he realized this was no joke.
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Why Signal?
You might wonder why the most powerful people in the world are using a free app you use to text your one friend who's obsessed with privacy.
The administration actually authorized the use of Signal because there isn't really a great "official" way for people across different agencies (CIA, State Dept, White House) to text each other in real-time on secure government phones. Signal is encrypted, sure, but it’s still a commercial app.
As critics like Rep. Seth Moulton pointed out, using an "insecure medium" for war plans is "the highest level of f***up imaginable."
The real kicker? Waltz had set the messages to disappear after a week. If Goldberg hadn't screenshotted the thread, there might have been no record of these conversations at all, which likely violates the Federal Records Act.
The Fallout and "Signalgate"
Once the story broke on March 24, 2025, the reaction was split down the middle.
The White House tried to play it cool. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes (the guy whose contact info was messed up) called the chat a "demonstration of deep and thoughtful policy coordination."
On the other side, the Pentagon and intelligence community were reportedly furious. Having a journalist—especially one from a magazine the President dislikes—watching live "target sequencing" is a nightmare for operational security.
Lessons for the Rest of Us
So, what can we actually learn from the "Who added Goldberg to the Signal chat" saga?
- Check your contacts. Seriously. If you’re using an iPhone, Siri is constantly trying to "help" you by linking numbers to names. Sometimes, it links the wrong person.
- Signal isn't a magic shield. Encryption protects the message in transit, but it doesn't protect you if you manually invite the wrong person into the room.
- The "Fat Finger" is a National Security Threat. We live in an era where a single mistap on a glass screen can leak war plans.
If you're managing sensitive info, it's worth taking ten seconds to double-check the "Add Member" screen. Or, you know, maybe don't discuss missile strikes on a commercial messaging app.
The next time you get added to a group chat by mistake, just remember: it could be worse. You could be Mike Waltz, and the person you just added could be the editor of a national magazine.
Take Action: Go into your phone settings under Siri & Search and review your "Suggestions" settings. It might just save you from your own Goldberg moment. Check your Signal "Privacy" settings too—make sure you have "Disappearing Messages" turned on for sensitive stuff, but remember that anyone can still take a screenshot.