In perhaps the biggest plot twist of all though, Mike Waltz, national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, accidentally included Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, in a private Signal group chat. This mistake led to a surprising level of outcry. This incident occurred amid Waltz’s efforts to counter a controversial story published by The Atlantic regarding Trump’s administration and its policies.
Waltz had established the Signal group chat to plan counter–U.S. military strike operations in Yemen. He was eager to get their support and share ideas for strategy among allies in the private group, which included members of the Trump administration. In an unrelated error, Waltz accidentally saved Goldberg’s phone number under the contact information for another person, Brian Hughes. So they invited Goldberg into the conversation. Strangely enough, Waltz had never even met or spoken to him before this occurrence.
A subsequent forensic review of Waltz’s iPhone uncovered the furor that ensued after Goldberg was added to the Signal group chat. It was this discovery that illuminated the dark room. The review showed that the device had unsolicitedly offered Goldberg’s number as part of a “contact suggestion update.” This new iPhone feature uses artificial intelligence to try to match previously unidentified numbers with contacts that it identifies as relevant. When introduced, Waltz’s iPhone automatically connected Goldberg’s contact details with Hughes’ business card.
Waltz later appeared on CNN to defend Trump’s administration against the allegations put forth in The Atlantic’s article. In that interview, he spoke specifically about the positive things Trump did for the families of Gold Star veterans.
“Don’t take it from me, take it from the 13 Abbey Gate Gold Star families, some of whom stood on a stage in front of a 30,000 person crowd and said how he helped them heal.” – Mike Waltz
The backlash from the Atlantic’s publication even led to discussions within the White House about firing Waltz. The fallout Reports emerged that Trump at one point planned to fire Waltz, only to back down. According to those familiar with Trump’s thinking, he didn’t want to give the media what they were looking for. He didn’t allow them to dictate his hiring choices for cabinet members.
When communication protocols throughout the White House were called into question, it initiated this forensic review. Through this oversight investigation, we discovered the contact suggestion fiasco. The administration even authorized the use of Signal, an encrypted messaging platform. They selected it because it was the only option available at the time that allowed for real-time communication between various government sectors.
Waltz had saved Goldberg’s number, but hadn’t called her directly. Rather than contest the charges made in the Atlantic piece, he pledged to do what’s necessary to rectify the fears expressed. Given the events over the summer, Waltz has again re-committed to operating transparently and holding himself accountable to his constituents and this unique role.
Goldberg, when asked about his connection to Waltz, continued to hedge his bets.
“I’m not going to comment on my relationship with Mike Waltz beyond saying I do know him and have spoken to him.” – Jeffrey Goldberg
Censorship in the age of digital media This event exemplifies the challenges present in today’s political discourse. A high-profile journalist was mistakenly added to the federal Government communications channel. The media’s role in this incident illustrates the minefield that is the contemporary media/politics dynamic.