Who is Jeffrey Goldberg? What happened to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic? These became trending searches on Google after it was revealed that the renowned journalist mistakenly received several secret messages containing President Donald Trump’s war plans.

Jeffrey Goldberg is one of the most influential figures in American journalism. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of The Atlantic and is also the moderator of Washington Week With The Atlantic. He joined the magazine in 2007 as a national correspondent and assumed his current role in 2016. Under his leadership, The Atlantic achieved historic milestones, setting audience and subscription records and winning its first Pulitzer Prize. These accomplishments led the magazine to receive the National Magazine Award for General Excellence—the highest honor awarded by the American Society of Magazine Editors—in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Goldberg’s career before joining The Atlantic was equally distinguished. He served as Middle East correspondent and later Washington correspondent for The New Yorker. He was also a writer for The New York Times Magazine, where he authored 15 cover stories. His journalism career began as a police reporter for The Washington Post.

As an author, Goldberg published the book Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror, reflecting his deep interest in security issues, international conflicts, and diplomacy. He has also been a fellow at the American Academy in Berlin and has received prestigious awards such as the National Magazine Award for reporting, the Daniel Pearl Award, and the Overseas Press Club Award.

What happened with Jeffrey Goldberg and Donald Trump’s war plans?

The scandal broke out when Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, accidentally added Goldberg to a group chat on Signal, an encrypted communication app frequently used by journalists and government officials for sensitive discussions. In this chat, named “Houthi PC small group,” senior U.S. security officials were discussing the possibility of launching an offensive against the Houthis in Yemen.

In an article published in The Atlantic, Goldberg shared details of how he realized something was amiss. According to his account, “On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz…” He explained that initially, he wasn’t sure if it was the real National Security Advisor, suspecting someone might be impersonating him. Nevertheless, he decided to accept the request, hoping it was legitimate.

Two days later, on Thursday, he found himself added to a group called “Houthi PC small group,” where Mike Waltz sent a message stating: “Team – setting up a principals group for coordination on the Houthis, particularly over the next 72 hours….” What followed were discussions that revealed concrete plans to carry out military actions in Yemen.

What did security officials share, and why is it concerning?

The exchanged messages included input from high-ranking officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance—who expressed reluctance about attacking the Houthis—and then-Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—who supported military action. According to Goldberg’s account, the information within these messages detailed operational specifics, including particular targets, weaponry types, and attack sequences.

Despite the incident, official spokespeople minimized potential risks. Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said: “This appears to be an authentic message thread, and we are reviewing how an unintended number was added to the chain… The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”

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