After Jeffrey Goldberg—the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic—released the full transcript of a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen, Hegseth had a tantrum in a post on X that exposed him to significant criticism.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted Tuesday morning that “no classified material was sent to the thread.” But her statement contradicted Goldberg, who maintained that the messages contained “precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.”
Shortly after, Hegseth also dismissed Goldberg’s claims on X, insisting the journalist didn’t understand the situation and downplaying the significance of the information discussed.
He said:
"So, let’s me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called “war plans” and those “plans” include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information."
"Those are some really s***y war plans. This only proves one thing: Jeff Goldberg has never seen a war plan or an “attack plan” (as he now calls it). Not even close."
"This only proves one thing: Jeff Goldberg has never seen a war plan or an “attack plan” (as he now calls it). Not even close."
"As I type this, my team and I are traveling the INDOPACOM region, meeting w/ Commanders (the guys who make REAL “war plans”) and talking to troops. We will continue to do our job, while the media does what it does best: peddle hoaxes."
You can see his post below.
He was met with a swift reality check that exposed his spin for the distortion that it was.
Hegseth has declined to confirm whether he shared classified information on Signal. Currently traveling in the Indo-Pacific, he has only dismissed questions, insisting he did not disclose “war plans.”
Meanwhile, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that it was ultimately Hegseth’s responsibility to determine whether the information he shared was classified.
Despite efforts by the Pentagon and White House to deflect criticism by attacking Goldberg and The Atlantic, the magazine has stated that Goldberg repeatedly contacted the White House both before and after publication to seek clarification on the Signal chat and ensure that releasing the full messages would not compromise security.
