Photo: Screenshot from the publication
This is neither a spy novel nor a satire – it’s reality. One of the most famous American journalists accidentally found himself in the middle of the Trump administration’s most secretive discussions – in a group chat where ministers, intelligence officers and presidential advisers were planning air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Time Ukraine Israel exclusively publishes this story – how the Signal bug exposed the most intimate of American security.
How it all started
On 15 March 2025, the world learned that the United States had launched strikes against targets in Yemen. But the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, found out two hours earlier, when Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth accidentally added him to a secret chat on the Signal messenger.
It all started in October 2023, after Hamas attacked southern Israel. The Houthis, Yemeni militants, began to strike at Israel and global trade in the Red Sea. The Biden administration failed to stop this. The Trump team, upon returning to the White House, promised to act tough.
The group “on Houthis”, which included a journalist
On 11 March, Goldberg received a message on Signal from alleged national security adviser Michael Waltz. On 13 March, he was added to a group called the Houthi Task Force. The members are top US officials: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President J.D. Vance, Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Defence Hagel and more than a dozen others. And Goldberg. Designated as “JG”.
At first, he thought it was a prank. But when he received a message on 15 March at 11:44 am: “Target update: targets in Sana’a, type of weapon – JDAM, strike time – 13:55,” there was no doubt.
“I’ll pray for a win” – Vance, “Awesome!” – Waltz
When the news reported the bombings in Sana’a right on schedule, the chat room exploded with emotion. People praised the pilots, sent flags, and prayed. Vance, although he had his doubts before, wrote: “I will pray for victory.”
Goldberg, unable to stand it, removed himself from the group, leaving behind a history – and an unprecedented window into how the “new era” of American security works.
The reaction of the authorities: “It was a mistake”
After the incident, Goldberg asked for comment. The administration confirmed the authenticity. A spokesman for the National Security Council said: “There was no threat. Just a mistaken addition of a contact.” The vice president’s press office said Vance remained fully committed to Trump despite his doubts in the group chat.
Legal bomb: possible violation of the Law on Espionage
National security experts are sounding the alarm. Discussing targets, strike schedules, and weapon types in the Signal messenger may constitute a gross violation of the Espionage Act. Data should only circulate through SCIF, the Pentagon’s secure channels, and not in an app with avatars and emojis.
The irony of history: a journalist as a passive participant in the war
This story is like a mirror of a new era. By mistake, from a phone, a journalist got into the heart of the American military machine. And he saw it from the inside – not in the form of a press briefing, but in a real, live, raw chat where decisions that change the world are made.
Time Ukraine Israel: why it matters
We are publishing this story because it shows what the government looks like in 2025 – impulsive, technically vulnerable, emotional. And another thing: this is a story about an accident that revealed the truth. The journalist did not come to the sources – the sources came to the journalist.
The article was written by Marianna Nyzhnia. The article is attributed to Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic.
