Donald Trump will likely be preparing a savage attack on The Atlantic and editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, after the embarrassment of having Signal war texts leaked, it’s been claimed
Donald Trump and his top team will be rolling out the tried-and-tested playbook of going on the attack, it’s been claimed, after The Atlantic released more war plan texts accidentally sent to editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
The entire Signal conversation was released earlier today by the magazine, revealing detailed plans for airstrikes on Houthi targets. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance were vocal contributors in the messaging app chat, with the journalist accidentally added to the group chat by national security advisor Mike Waltz. The President’s top team have struggled to explain how the journalist was accidentally included in the war plans. It also raises questions over national security, as Signal conversations could be intercepted by foreign agents, and all military discussions should routinely be officially recorded.
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Now that the full Signal war plans have been revealed, Mr Trump’s primary plan would be to attack The Atlantic, according to the University of Kent’s Dr Andrew Rowe. The President routinely prefers to forcibly attack anyone that provokes him, as it’s more preferable than admitting a mistake, he added.
Dr Rowe told the Mirror: “My guess is that Trump will be very reluctant to sanction any of the participants in the Signal chat, even Mike Waltz, his national security advisor, who has admitted enrolling the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the chat. He won’t want to lose any key personnel so early into his second term. Moreover, sanctioning them would be a public acknowledgement of an error; Trump does not admit to errors.
“Instead, the Trump playbook is to attack those who he perceives are attacking him, but with even more force. To this end, Trump and his top team have already launched a vitriolic attack on Goldberg and his publication, The Atlantic.
“But this story has legs. Goldberg might be holding back some classified and/or incendiary information. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some more extraordinary revelations in the days to come that may force Trump’s hand and require him to switch tactics.”
Mr Trump’s attack dogs have already slammed the magazine following the latest release of Signal group chat messages. Earlier today, JD Vance claimed the journalist “oversold what he had” in a post on X. Yesterday, Mr Hegseth – whose sole credential for taking on the responsibility of Defense Secretary was his co-host role on Fox News’s ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ – laughed when he was asked about the leak.
He told reporters: “You’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist whose made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again.
“…including the, I don’t know, the hoax of ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’, or the ‘fine people on both sides’ hoaxes or ‘suckers and losers’ hoaxes. This is the guy that peddles in garbage. This is what he does.”
Mr Trump also broke his silence on the leak yesterday, claiming he thought The Atlantic was going out of business. He also repeated that he didn’t know anything about the leak.
The leak itself featured top secret plans for airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets. The group chat was first created hours before the actual airstrikes took place.
It included details war plans for the airstrikes, including exact location of targets, timetables for the attacks, and confirmation of a successful mission.
The Atlantic said it didn’t publish the conversation before the airstrikes to avoid compromising a US military operation, as well as putting the lives of pilots at risk.