President Donald Trump quickly amplified Elon Musk's mockery of The Atlantic after the magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to a classified group chat. The chat involved U.S. national security officials discussing military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), ridiculed The Atlantic on Monday. He posted, "Best place to hide a dead body is page 2 of The Atlantic magazine, because no one ever goes there."
Trump Joins the Fun
Trump reposted Musk's remark on his Truth Social account. He also shared a link to a satirical article from The Babylon Bee. The article was titled, "4D Chess: Genius Trump Leaks War Plans To The Atlantic Where No One Will Ever See Them."
During a White House briefing, Trump distanced himself from the situation but took the opportunity to criticize the magazine. "I don't know anything about it," he told reporters. "I'm not a big fan of The Atlantic."
He further dismissed the publication, calling it "a magazine that's going out of business" and adding, "I think it's not much of a magazine, but I know nothing about it." When a reporter clarified the issue, Trump appeared uninterested, asking, "Having to do with what? What were they talking about?"
Security Council Confirms Leak
The Atlantic reported that the National Security Council (NSC) confirmed the authenticity of the leaked chat. NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes acknowledged the error, saying, "This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
Hughes defended the discussions in the chat, saying they showed "deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials." He also stated that the success of the Houthi operation proved "there were no threats to troops or national security."
White House Stands by Security Team
Despite the leak, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured that Trump remained confident in his national security team. "As President Trump said, the attacks on the Houthis have been highly successful and effective," she said.
She also reaffirmed Trump's trust in his National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz. The statement came amid reports that Waltz was under fire for the security breach.
The controversy surrounding the leaked chat continues to raise questions about government communication security. However, for Trump and Musk, the focus remained on mocking The Atlantic, a publication they both have long criticized.
