Mike Waltz Discusses Signal Chat Breach and Trump Administration’s Foreign Policy Wins
Speaking last night with Laura Ingraham, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz responded to questions regarding a controversial Signal chat group that inadvertently included a Trump-critical editor from The Atlantic. Waltz, a key figure in the administration, took responsibility, but admitted he has never spoken with Jeff Goldberg and did not have his phone number nor did he have any idea how Goldberg ended up in the group chat.
The Signal Chat Incident
The interview began with Ingraham pressing Waltz on how an editor from The Atlantic, known for his outspoken criticism of President Trump, ended up in a private Signal chat group consisting of administration principals and staff. Waltz expressed disbelief, stating, “I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but of all the people out there, somehow this guy—who has lied about the President, lied to Gold Star families, and gone to all kinds of lengths to smear the President—ends up on somebody’s contact list and gets sucked into this group.” He categorically denied knowing the individual personally, describing him as “the bottom scum of journalists” based on his reputation.
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When asked whether a member of his intelligence team might be responsible, Waltz firmly rejected the notion, insisting that the group was a “great team” coordinating policy discussions ahead of a successful military strike. He took full responsibility for the oversight, saying, “My job is to make sure everything is coordinated. I built the group.” However, he could not pinpoint exactly how the editor’s contact information was added, suggesting it might have been a technical glitch where one contact’s number appeared under another’s name. “Have you ever had somebody’s contact show their name and then it’s somebody else’s number?” he asked Ingraham.
Technical Investigation Underway
Waltz revealed that the administration has enlisted top technical experts—including a conversation with Elon Musk on his way to the interview—to investigate how the breach occurred. “We have the best technical minds looking at how this happened,” he assured, while maintaining that no staffer deliberately added the editor. “It’s embarrassing, yes. We’re going to get to the bottom of it,” he added. Despite the confusion, Waltz emphasized that no classified information was exchanged in the chat, though he expressed a preference for keeping such deliberations confidential. “These were conversations back and forth that you should be able to have confidentially,” he said.
Shifting Focus to Successes
Throughout the interview, Waltz pivoted to highlight the administration’s accomplishments, arguing that the Signal chat controversy was a distraction from President Trump’s successes. He pointed to a recent military operation that eliminated key Houthi leaders, opened sea lanes, and disrupted Iran’s missile supply chain—achievements he claimed the Biden administration failed to accomplish. “Not only did we take out people that the Biden team never could, but we also took out their headquarters, missile caches, and leadership,” Waltz said proudly.
He also cited broader foreign policy wins, including the release of hostages, a Black Sea cease-fire implemented on March 26, 2025, and Panama’s decision to expel China from the Panama Canal. “The President has ended the largest land war in Europe, secured the border, and achieved success after success,” Waltz asserted, contrasting these with what he called “Biden messes” in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and elsewhere.
Response to The Atlantic’s Defense
Ingraham raised The Atlantic’s statement defending their reporting, which accused administration officials of following a “playbook” hostile to journalists and First Amendment rights. Waltz dismissed this as hypocritical, accusing the editor of a pattern of dishonesty: “He lied about Russia, lied about Gold Star families, lied about the President paying for a Gold Star family’s needs—which he absolutely did. Lie after lie after lie.” He questioned the relevance of the mainstream media’s criticism, stating, “Do we care about The Atlantic? What I care about is staying focused on the mission and accomplishing the President’s agenda.”
Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
Waltz acknowledged the incident as a mistake but framed it as a learning opportunity. “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward, and we’re going to continue to knock it out of the park for this President,” he said. He confirmed that the administration is reevaluating its communication practices, with plans to tighten security and improve government IT systems—a task being supported by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “Lesson learned number one is you’ve got journalists out there who have made fame and fortune trying to trash this President,” he noted.
The National Security Advisor also addressed the ongoing Ukraine war, expressing optimism about its resolution. “The President is determined to end the war. We just had an energy and aerial cease-fire today, and now we’re moving to the Black Sea,” he said, crediting Trump with breaking a diplomatic logjam.
Waltz painted a picture of a cohesive and effective national security team, united in support of President Trump’s vision. He underscored the administration’s rapid pace—described as “Trump warp speed”—in tackling multiple global challenges simultaneously. While the inclusion of an adversarial journalist in a sensitive chat group remains unresolved, Waltz’s focus was clear: the priority is delivering results for the American people, not dwelling on distractions. As he concluded, “It’s the honor of a lifetime to work for him.”
