This post has been updated.
The Atlantic’s Pete Hegseth-Houthi Signal story is disintegrating fast. Once again, another piece of fake news was eviscerated in less than 24 hours after being subjected to basic scrutiny. Writer Jeffrey Goldberg, one of the most prominent peddlers of anti-Trump hoaxes, was added to a group chat of top Trump officials, which included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, regarding ongoing operations against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe just destroyed The Atlantic for blatantly making things up.
— Media Lies (@MediasLies) March 26, 2025
“The reporter indicated that I had released the name of another country – of an undercover CIA operative.”
“In fact, I released the name of my chief of staff who is not operating… pic.twitter.com/jOEmj3KCQ2
Signal is an approved encrypted messenger app. It was already installed on the devices involving those in this chat; they were aware of another classified platform they could use to discuss more sensitive matters, and no classified war plans were divulged. That’s what Goldberg was alleging. The chats are real, and it was a massive unforced error, especially in this atmosphere where Trump is facing a nasty, vile opposition press. CIA Director Ratcliffe said no plans were discussed, so Goldberg should release the rest of the chats. You did embarrass the administration, but everyone will be over it by the weekend. Where’s the classified materials?
🚨BREAKING: Jeffrey Goldberg, who lied America into the Iraq War and fabricated the "suckers and losers" hoax, is asked why doesn't he publish more of the Signal chat showing classified information?
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 25, 2025
"No, because they're wrong. *Sigh* ..."https://t.co/piczOw8IqC pic.twitter.com/teFPO3kjHu
Tim Miller just destroyed Goldberg without trying.
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) March 25, 2025
Miller asked Goldberg why he doesn’t prove his claim the messages were “classified” by showing an uninvolved group in the government who has security clearance.
Aaaand we’re done. https://t.co/uxBaPJGCiP
🚨@JeffreyGoldberg lied about Saddam Hussein working with Al Qaeda, deceiving Americans into supporting the Iraq War.
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 25, 2025
He fabricated the debunked "suckers and losers" and "Trump wants Hitler's generals" hoaxes—both based on anonymous sources—before the 2020 & 2024 elections.… https://t.co/FFaCIHGa16 pic.twitter.com/OhVV5vaHMd
Goldberg claims more reporting is coming out, but who cares if it doesn’t corroborate his ‘leaked classified war plans’ narrative, which imploded yesterday. When discussing this story with anti-Trump writer Tim Miller of The Bulwark, Miller inadvertently obliterates Goldberg. Why won’t he release the rest of the information?
“No, because they're wrong,” he said. He mostly evades the question. It’s a self-righteous, DC swamp answer too: ‘We take classified information seriously.’
Dude, again, nothing you saw was classified. Release the rest of the information, or we’re just going to chalk this up as another Goldberg fake news special.
***
UPDATE: Sensing his story was dying, Goldberg released texts that weren't classified, though he thought they were, to reveal the "attack plans" discussed on the chats. Notice how the narrative has changed. These aren't war plans; this story is still a nothing burger. Is it a hoax? No. The chats are real, but Goldberg created fake news by claiming this chat was akin to Eisenhower detailing the intricacies of Operation Overlord.
Are these “war plans?” pic.twitter.com/3tjdDuAfYE
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 26, 2025
The Atlantic beclowns itself as they concede— by releasing this— that no “war planning” was going on as they had falsely alleged.
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) March 26, 2025
Sounds like some terrorists had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. https://t.co/bTtKNzy55T
Many things can be true at once. 1) Jeffrey Goldberg is a clear Trump hater. 2) Goldberg has published sensationalized accounts in the past that have been disputed by people with first-hand knowledge. 3) He was added to this chat and has receipts, so it’s not a hoax. https://t.co/WmDA4LEsxi
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) March 26, 2025
Ok so the Atlantic released what they call the “war plans”—they’re depending on people not knowing (or caring) what this is, but to refer to it that way is a stretch. There’s nothing specific here, other than times at which events will occur. A leak of this kind could alert the… pic.twitter.com/dCss9wBby0
— David Reaboi, Late Republic Nonsense (@davereaboi) March 26, 2025
Re: Signalgate:
— David Reaboi, Late Republic Nonsense (@davereaboi) March 26, 2025
—people who hate Trump are cynically trying to manufacture Valerie Plame 2.0 (which itself was a bullshit scandal);
—people who love Trump are flailing and attacking Goldberg (a piece of trash lib, but one behaved like a normal reporter here);
—very few…
At some point we’re going to discover that the true origination of all this was to prevent the Trump administration from using Signal because the Intelligence Community can’t monitor their communications.
— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) March 26, 2025