President Donald Trump stood by his National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, following the Signal app scandal, describing him as a "good man" who "learned a lesson." Trump's backing comes as pressure mounts for Waltz to resign, with one official reportedly referring to him as a "f**ing idiot."*
Waltz started the group chat to discuss plans for airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen and inadvertently included The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. "Everyone in the White House can agree on one thing: Mike Waltz is a f***ing idiot," the source, identified as a 'person close to the White House', bluntly told Politico a day after the security breach scandal came to light.
Trump Defends His Man
Trump, however, told NBC News, "Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he's a good man." He blamed the mix-up to his staff. When asked how Goldberg ended up in the Signal group chat, Trump explained, "It was one of Michael's people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there."
The Signal group, titled "Houthi PC small group," gave Goldberg access to discussions between Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior administration officials.
In his report, Goldberg described how operational details were shared, alleging that Hegseth revealed sensitive information that could pose a national security risk if exposed to the wrong parties.
The story went viral after being published on Monday, sparking criticism over why the administration was using a messaging app instead of secure government systems for classified discussions.
Trump downplayed the controversy, insisting that Goldberg's inclusion in the chat had "no impact at all." He stressed that the attacks were "perfectly successful."
He also brushed off concerns over the story's widespread attention, calling it "the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one."
Criticism Continues
Goldberg criticized Waltz for including him in the chat and for using the app as a communication tool. It remains unclear whom Waltz originally intended to add. "I'm thinking to myself, I'm glad Mike Waltz didn't invite a Houthi into the group or a Russian spy, or an adversary of the United States," Goldberg told MSNBC.
Among the other officials in the chat were Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a CIA representative, Trump adviser Stephen Miller, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
One official described the decision as "reckless."
"It was reckless not to check who was on the thread. It was reckless to be having that conversation on Signal. You can't have recklessness as the national security advisor," one official told Politico.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed "anonymous sources" who cast doubt on Waltz's position within the administration. "As I said yesterday, the President continues to have confidence in his national security team, including Mike Waltz. Stories claiming otherwise are driven by anonymous sources who clearly do not speak to the President, and written by reporters who are thirsty for a 'scoop,'" she wrote on X.
Goldberg voiced concern that the messages contained details that could be exploited by U.S. adversaries to endanger personnel and assets.
He wrote in The Atlantic: "The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command's area of responsibility.
"What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the US would be deploying, and attack sequencing."
Following the article's release, criticism of Trump administration officials surged, with many questioning why highly classified security matters were being discussed on a messaging app.
"I've accidentally send the wrong person a text. We all have. The unconscionable action was sending this info over non-secure networks. None of this should have been sent on non-secure systems," Republican Rep. Don Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said.
"Russia and China are surely monitoring his unclassified phone," he added, referring to Hegseth.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler wrote on X: "Classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels — and certainly not to those without security clearances, including reporters. Period. Safeguards must be put in place to ensure this never happens again."
