Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of Atlantic Magazine, has rejected an explanation provided by national security adviser Mike Waltz about the recent bombing of the Hooty Rebels in Yemen and how it was included in recent Trump administration groups' text chats.
Goldberg said Waltz's theory that his contact was “sucked” into his phone via “someone else's contact.”
“This is not a matrix,” Goldberg said. I said NBC's Kristen Welker references a classic science fiction film about humans living unknowingly in simulated reality on Meet the Press on Sunday. “The phone number isn't just sucked into other calls.
“I don't know what he's talking about there.”
Goldberg continued: “Very often in journalism, the most obvious explanation is explanation. My phone number was on his phone, so my phone number was on his phone.”
Goldberg made waves when the magazine released two days of two days starting March 24 when Trump administration officials released group chat details that included discussions about the Houthi installation and the then-US attacks on senior officials.
The chat announced on the signaling app that many people in Washington about security precautions taken by newborn administration officials to ensure national security, causing several days of headlines about whether the text amounted to a violation.
Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his position that disclosure was a mistake. The president then denied reports that Waltz had offered to resign. “No, he didn't,” Trump said. “He had no reason.”
Previously, Trump said Waltz was “a very good guy and he will continue to do a good job.”
On Sunday, Goldberg insisted that Waltz “tells everyone that he has never met me or has never spoken to me – that's simply not true.” Waltz told Goldberg “I've never met” during a meeting with Trump and the ambassador at the White House.
“There are a lot of journalists. They've made big names for themselves and they're lying about this president,” Waltz said without providing evidence. Referring to Goldberg, he added:
The National Security Council (NSC) confirmed the credibility of the message and said it is reviewing how Goldberg joined the chat that Waltz discovered. The theory ranges from unintentionally choosing Goldberg numbers. His number is under the name of the security officer. to intentional sabotage.
However, Goldberg told NBC News: “This has become a somewhat wild situation. There's no serious situation here. My number was on his phone. He accidentally added me to the group chat. I'll go there.”
Democrat US Sen. Mark Warner continued to press for the issue on Sunday, saying Republican White House officials involved in signal violations will put America's lives at risk.
After the newsletter promotion
“If you're a traditional military officer or CIA caseworker and you were this sloppy and careless with this categorized information, you'll be fired,” Warner of Virginia told ABC's Host Martha Raddatz this week. “There's no doubt about that.”
Warner, a member of the Senate Intelligence Email Committee, said it also uses signals because it is safer than text messages. “I actually encourage people to use signals, but that doesn't make sense yet, because it's safer, so you can put categorized information,” he added.
Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican and former chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Email Committee, said he welcomed the same outlet a review of what has become known as Signalgate and “whether these types of conversations occur.”
Nevertheless, he said he thought Houthi would play a “great operation.”
Susan Rice, the national security adviser to former President Barack Obama, told the Mydustoustuch podcast that the leak was “very reckless” and “unprecedented.”
Rice said that even the existence of conversation is classified.
“This will never be tolerated in a normal administration,” Rice said. “They'll be fired on the spot.”
