Goldberg Thought Signal Messages About Yemen Strikes Were A 'Hoax': 'They're Lucky They Didn't Send This To A Houthi'

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, said he couldn't believe the Signal group text messages he received over the weekend about the impending U.S. attack on Houthi rebels were real --- until bombs started falling in Yemen.

Goldberg, who wrote the story "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans" about the blatant violation of national security regulations, appeared on CNN on Monday night to set the record straight about the bombshell revelation, saying he originally believed the messages from high-ranking U.S. officials to be a hoax.

"I didn't know what t was or who it was, but I knew the obvious answer was that this is a real conversation of the national security leadership of the United States, seemed improbable to me, because why would they do this on Signal? Why would they do this on a messaging app? And why would they invited the editor-in-chief of a magazine to watch?" Goldberg told CNN "The Source" host Kaitlan Collins.

"I am sitting in Safeway parking lot watching my phone realizing this might be real. Pete Hegseth just sent a message actually sequencing an attack. I'm thinking 'I guess they're lucky they didn't send this to a Houthi'."

The White House confirmed Monday that a journalist was "inadvertant"ly included in a group chat on the encrypted app two days before the military mission. The group included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, national security advisor Mike Waltz and other officials involved in the decision to order strikes against the rebels.

"The message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain," National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said.

Despite the admission, Hegseth chose to take aim at Goldberg: "So you are talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who has made a profession of peddling hoaxes," he said, refusing to address the question about how a journalist was included in the thread.

Trump was asked about the matter earlier Monday but denied knowledge of the incident. "I don't know anything about it," he said. "You're telling me about it for the first time."