The Pentagon leak shocked the world. Photo: Screenshot of the publication
Time Ukraine Israel has previously reported on the sensational confession of The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who said that he was accidentally added to a secret Signal chat room where senior US officials discussed a military operation against the Yemeni Houthis. Now the story is gaining new momentum.
A crisis of confidence is unfolding in the heart of the US military and political establishment that could have far-reaching consequences for US national security. After the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, claimed that he was accidentally added to a secret Signal group chat discussing future strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, the White House and Pentagon found themselves at the centre of one of the largest leaks of sensitive information in recent years.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made a brief but extremely aggressive statement on Monday night:
“No one has sent text messages about military plans, and that’s all I can say about it.”
Instead of a balanced response, Hegseth launched a frontal attack on Goldberg, calling him a “lying and completely discredited so-called journalist”.
This is not just a diplomatic conflict. It is a frontal assault on press freedom – by an official who heads the armed forces of the world’s largest democracy.
The Pentagon denies it. The White House cautiously confirms
Despite Hegseth’s denials, the White House has already acknowledged that the incident took place. Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said:
“It appears to be a genuine chain of messages, and we are looking into how Goldberg’s number got into the chat.”
This comment is an extremely disturbing signal: either the Minister of Defence is deliberately misinforming the public, or there is a lack of coordination in the highest echelons of power, even in matters related to military operations.
Trump avoids responsibility but attacks media
President Donald Trump has traditionally distanced himself from specifics, while not changing his rhetoric on the media:
“I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic – for me, it’s a magazine that’s about to close.”
This sentence contains a mixture of indifference, irony and a strategic attack on the institutions of journalism. And while such statements have become commonplace for Trump, in the context of the leaked military plans, it sounds particularly dangerous.
18 participants, including the head of the Pentagon – and a journalist?
According to Goldberg, the Signal chat had 18 participants in total:
– Pete Hegseth, Minister of Defence,
– Mike Walz, National Security Advisor to the President,
– Stephen Miller, Domestic Policy Advisor,
– Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for the Middle East.
How such a group could function without multi-level protection and verification is a question that is being asked today not only by journalists but also by US senators.
The Senate is preparing an investigation
Democrats in Congress are already demanding a bipartisan commission. The possible leak of plans for a military operation in a region where the United States already has a complex geopolitical position is not just an institutional failure. It is a potential threat to the lives of US troops and allies.
Information warfare: freedom of speech vs. state security
The story of Jeffrey Goldberg goes far beyond an internal error. It is a symptom of a deeper disease. In Washington, two worlds collide: a world where national security justifies any means of control, and a world where journalism remains the last bastion of transparency and accountability in government.
The question is whether American democracy will survive this conflict – and whether society will be able to trust institutions that today do not know who is sitting in their closed chat room.
Author: Marianna Nyzhnia
