• A case of mistaken identity caused journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to be accidentally included in a Signal chat of top US officials.
• The incident involved a contact mix-up attributed to an iPhone feature suggesting wrong contact numbers.
• President Trump expressed frustration over the situation, primarily due to Goldberg's media affiliation.
• The White House initiated an internal investigation, confirming no classified information was leaked during the chat.
• This incident raises questions about the security of using commercial devices for sensitive government discussions.

The recent inclusion of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, into a private Signal group chat intended for senior US national security officials has raised concerns surrounding information security protocols within the Trump administration. The blunder originated from National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who mistakenly added Goldberg instead of the intended participant, spokesperson Brian Hughes. This notable incident came to light after internal investigations delved into how such a critical mistake could occur.

The series of errors began back in October 2024 when Goldberg sent an email to the Trump campaign inquiring about a story related to the administration's treatment of wounded military personnel. The email included Goldberg's contact details, which were subsequently forwarded by Hughes to Waltz. During this process, Waltz's iPhone allegedly utilized its contact suggestion feature, erroneously saving Goldberg's number under Hughes’s name. This automatic saving mechanism led to further complications when Waltz convened the Signal group chat on March 13, 2025, to discuss military strategies against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The mistake remained unnoticed until the chat was created, resulting in explosive operational discussions being visible to Goldberg, who later published the details in The Atlantic. Notably, this private chat included top officials, such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, discussing sensitive military tactics, leading to a thorough review by the White House’s IT office to ensure no leaks had occurred.

President Trump reportedly reacted with annoyance not primarily regarding the breach but rather the embarrassing fact that Waltz had Goldberg’s number stored on his phone. Although there were initial discussions about possible disciplinary actions against Waltz, Trump ultimately chose not to pursue such measures, seeking to avoid providing media outlets with any perceived victory over the administration. As Waltz explained in a Fox News interview, this situation was a simple misunderstanding caused by phone settings: “We made a mistake, and I take full responsibility,” he stated, while also hinting that the contact could have been absorbed via typical iPhone syncing methods.

This incident has prompted conversations about the vulnerabilities inherent in using common commercial devices for communication involving national security. As a result, some analysts have recommended disabling specific smartphone features that could raise privacy or security concerns.

You can learn more about the original report by visiting India Times, CBS News, BBC, HuffPost.