Trump administration national security adviser Mike Waltz suggested that journalist Jeffrey Goldberg made his way into a Signal group chat of top national security officials "deliberately."
Speaking on Fox News's The Ingraham Angle on Tuesday night, Waltz disparaged Goldberg's reputation as a critic of President Donald Trump. The Trump administration official also defended himself against Goldberg's accusation that he was the one who invited the Atlantic editor in chief into the chat, saying he misplaced Goldberg's number under someone else's contact.
JEFFREY GOLDBERG SAYS HEGSETH LIED IN DISMISSING INTELLIGENCE LEAK
"So of course, I didn't see this loser in the group," Waltz said the day after the national security revelation broke. "It looked like someone else. Now, whether he did it deliberately or it happened by some other technical means is something we're trying to figure out."
Goldberg published a story on Monday titled "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans," detailing how he was added to a Signal chat filled with senior administration officials who spoke about a pending strike against the Houthis in Yemen. Those officials included Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, among others.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz suggests journalist Jeffrey Goldberg may have hacked into Signal group chat
MORE: https://t.co/BLjfCgjGhq pic.twitter.com/ZcwsiH049s
The journalist said he realized the group chat was real when the strikes were carried out soon after. The National Security Council confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the group chat "appeared to be an authentic message chain."
Members of Congress have expressed severe concern that the officials were sharing classified information on a nonsecure messaging platform, but Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were adamant on Tuesday that there was no classified information shared in the chat. Waltz reaffirmed that position during his interview with Laura Ingraham.
The national security adviser also said he "never met" Goldberg and he "wouldn't know him if I bumped into him." Goldberg stated that he had met Waltz a few years ago at two events.
Despite placing blame on Goldberg for being in the chat, Waltz said he took "full responsibility" for the incident and added that no staff member of his was involved.
JOURNALIST WAS ADDED TO ENCRYPTED GROUP CHAT MADE UP OF TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM
Waltz also brought up Elon Musk, saying he spoke with the Department of Government Efficiency head and that "we've got the best technical minds looking at how this happened."
Trump and Hegseth have also condemned Goldberg after his article, with the president saying earlier on Tuesday: "The person that was on just happens to be a sleaze-bag, so maybe that's just coincidence."