These were just a few of the phrases used by US President Donald Trump and his allies to minimize the unintentional inclusion of a journalist in a chat group comprising over a dozen high-ranking US officials discussing military strategies for Yemen.
When The Atlantic magazine unveiled the story on Monday, it was undeniably explosive—and arguably the first significant challenge of Mr. Trump’s second term.
As Washington reacted with shock, the administration swiftly retaliated, initially placing the blame squarely on the journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, by suggesting that he had sneakily infiltrated the chat.
He was labeled “a loser” by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, which, it was revealed, was the name in the Signal chat that had invited Goldberg to join. Mr. Waltz claimed not to know Mr. Goldberg.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took it further.
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth
“Mr. Goldberg is a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who has made a career out of spreading hoaxes time after time,” he told reporters.
Additionally, administration officials argued that no classified information was shared, so it was inconsequential.
Perhaps they believed that would be the end of the matter. However, that was far from the case.
On Wednesday morning, The Atlantic published the entire chat, urging readers to determine for themselves if the conversation contained classified information.
Screenshots showed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent messages to the group detailing timings for upcoming attacks and specific military equipment involved.
“Weather is FAVORABLE,” he texted, “just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM, we are a GO for missile launch.”
Soon thereafter, Mr. Hegseth wrote: “1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
He added: “1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets).”
Vice President JD Vance texted he would “say a prayer for victory.”
Later, after the alleged operation was completed, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz sent a series of emojis featuring a fist bump, an American flag, and a flame.
Signal chat screenshot
Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee focused on the details of the attack plans during their questioning of senior administration officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe (both reportedly members of the Signal chat group), as well as FBI Director Kash Patel.
“The notion that this information would not be classified if presented to our committee is a lie,” Congressman Joaquin Castro stated.
“To claim otherwise is a falsehood to the nation,” he added.
Defense Secretary Hegseth had “disclosed military plans as well as classified information,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.
“He should resign immediately, and a full investigation must be initiated regarding whether other similar Signal chats are taking place within this administration,” he told the committee.
The atmosphere escalated when Congressman Jimmy Gomez questioned whether Mr. Hegseth had been drinking while sending the text messages.
“I don’t have any awareness of Secretary Hegseth’s personal habits,” Ms. Gabbard diplomatically replied.
However, CIA Director John Ratcliffe was incensed.
“That’s an offensive line of questioning; the answer is no,” he retorted, leading to a heated exchange between the two men.
By Wednesday afternoon, the White House had somewhat altered its stance.
Certainly, criticisms directed towards the journalist persisted.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
Mr. Goldberg was labeled an “anti-Trump hater,” who “enjoys creating and disseminating hoaxes,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated during her daily briefing.
Other journalists also came under fire for daring to inquire whether the chat had endangered American lives.
“Nobody cares about your opinion or your reporting,” Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene snapped at British Sky News reporter Martha Kelner.
“Why don’t you return to your country where you have a significant migrant crisis?” she added.
However, the narrative was shifting—moving away from the content of the messages towards the supposed “success” of the strikes on Houthi targets and the alleged shortcomings of political opponents.
The Signal chat indicated that a “top missile guy” had been killed in a strike at “his girlfriend’s building.”
The Houthi-led health ministry in Yemen reported that 31 people had been killed in US bombing raids that day, including women and children, and over 100 had been injured.
“What we should be emphasizing is that it was a highly successful mission,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi.
She remarked that the Signal chat was unlikely to be investigated by the Department of Justice.
“If you want to discuss classified information, let’s talk about what was found in Hillary Clinton’s home,” she added, referencing the political firestorm that engulfed the former secretary of state over her use of private emails for official business.
During the height of that political controversy in 2016, Pete Hegseth, then a Fox News commentator, claimed that any security professional, whether military or government, “would be terminated on the spot for this kind of conduct.”
Mr. Waltz and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed similar sentiments.
It seemed to linger on Mrs. Clinton’s mind when she authored an op-ed in the New York Times yesterday titled: “How much dumber will this get?”
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz
“It’s not the hypocrisy that disturbs me; it’s the sheer foolishness,” she wrote.
Senior Trump administration officials “endangered our troops,” she asserted, “by exposing military plans on a commercial messaging platform and unintentionally inviting a journalist into the chat.”
It was not only hazardous, she claimed, it was “foolish”.
As the first opinion polls on the issue began to surface, it appeared that many Americans concurred with her.
A YouGov poll indicated that 53% of adults surveyed deemed the situation “very serious”—including a third of Republicans.
There were also murmurs of discontent within military ranks. Off-the-record interviews with various fighter pilots, published by the New York Times, revealed some felt a lack of confidence that the Pentagon prioritized their safety.
Republican members of Congress also voiced their opinions. Senators on the Armed Services Committee requested a formal inquiry.
However, others took a different stance.
“It’s time to move forward,” Republican Senator Kevin Cramer stated.
“The facts aren’t going to change—I doubt there’s any new information to unveil,” he said.
By the end of the week, no one had lost their job, and it appeared the administration was moving past the incident.
JD Vance traveled to Greenland—a territory President Trump has expressed interest in acquiring.
Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth flew to Asia, announcing the deployment of another American missile system in the Philippines to “reestablish deterrence” and counter “China’s aggression” in the region.
By the time they return to Washington, Signalgate may have faded from memory.
Yet this marked the first significant challenge for the new Trump team, and it is certainly not something they will forget easily.
