Jeffrey Goldberg Jokes ‘Rude’ Trump Called Him ‘Sleazebag’ After He Was ‘Invited’ to Attack Plans Group Chat as Texts Drop
The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg joked on Wednesday that it’s “kinda rude” President Donald Trump and others in his administration have called him “names” after he was accidentally “invited” to a text chain where officials discussed attack plans against the Houthis in Yemen.
Goldberg released the full text messages — with one redaction — from the chain on Wednesday after White House officials repeatedly denying that classified information was shared in a chat that included Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and others.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Goldberg to the chain.
On Wednesday’s Morning Joe, Goldberg said he did not release the texts “lightly,” but he wanted “readers to decide” on whether the administration exercised “good operational security.” In the text message chain, details — including the timing of attacks in Yemen — were discussed ahead of the actual attack.
Morning Joe’s Jonathan Lemire noted that Goldberg’s reporting has made him a target of the president and administration officials, with Trump calling Goldberg a “sleazebag” and others blasting him as a journalist.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the president of the United States called you a sleazebag. Top officials in his administration used similar terminology to describe you and your reporting here,” Lemire said.
“Well, it’s kind of rude. First they invite me to their Signal chat and then they call me names. That doesn’t seem right,” Goldberg joked.
He went on to accuse Waltz of trying to find a scapegoat to blame while he says “unserious and unkind things” about Goldberg. The journalist argued his only motivation was to write about a major “national security breach,” which he’d stumbled into thanks to an invitation to the Signal chat.
Goldberg said:
Mike Waltz is looking for the real killer. The simple truth of the matter is on March 11 Mike Waltz sent me a message request on Signal and I requested it. That’s the entire story. I mean, there’s no derring-do here. I entirely passively accepted his request to connect on Signal. I’m not going to comment on my relationship with Mike Waltz. He’s been saying unserious and unkind things about me. That’s okay. But the story is the story. March 11 he reached out.
Watch above via MSNBC.
More on the Trump Admin War Plan Leak:
- The Atlantic Publishes Trump Attack Plans After Administration Denies Group Chat
- Trump Just Handed His Biggest Enemy in Media a Slam Dunk
- But How Did It End Up In Your Phone?’ Laura Ingraham Grills Trump NatSec Advisor Over Leak ‘That’s a Pretty Big Problem’
- Jeffrey Goldberg Says He’s Considering Releasing More of Signal Chat — As Trump Officials Deny Under Oath That It Was Classified
- JD Vance Criticizes Trump in Leaked War Plans Group Chat: ‘Not Sure the President Is Aware How Inconsistent This Is’
- Trump Officials Stumped At Hearing When Asked If Goldberg Can Post Bombshell Texts Since They Claim No Classified Info
