WASHINGTON: Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg redacted a piece of information from newly released security breach text messages. The magazine published the rest.
Goldberg revealed that the CIA requested the redaction, but the Atlantic made the decision independently. He defended releasing the other messages.
He explained that the administration claimed the texts contained nothing classified, leaving the public to judge for themselves.
Goldberg described how he received the texts two hours before the Yemen airstrikes while sitting in a Safeway parking lot.
He questioned the operational security of the Trump administration, highlighting the dangers of sharing sensitive military details.
Publishing Decision
Goldberg emphasized that the Atlantic thoroughly reviewed the messages before publishing, ensuring nothing sensitive was revealed.
He stated that the team consulted multiple Trump administration contacts before proceeding with the report.
Despite this, the Trump administration attacked Goldberg and the Atlantic for publishing the texts.
Goldberg humorously responded to the criticism, saying, “First, they invite me to their Signal chat, then they call me names.”
He noted that Trump ally Mike Waltz personally invited him to the Signal chat before the messages were leaked.
White House Response
Goldberg dismissed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s response, calling it a “semantic game” meant to deflect responsibility.
He suggested the administration could have simply admitted the mistake and promised to avoid such errors in the future.
Instead, he argued, officials attempted to downplay the situation while attacking the credibility of the Atlantic.
Goldberg stated that the main issue was the reckless handling of military communications, not the Atlantic’s reporting.
He maintained that the leaked messages exposed a significant lapse in security and accountability.
Security Risks
The Atlantic’s report demonstrated how crucial military information was casually shared in a group chat.
Critics argue that the leaked texts revealed serious vulnerabilities in Trump administration security protocols.
The messages, received just before the airstrikes, highlighted the dangers of poor operational security.
Some experts fear such leaks could compromise American military operations in the future.
Goldberg stood by the Atlantic’s reporting, stating that the public deserved to know the truth about security failures.
