Goldberg: Political leak or public duty?

Mar 25, 2025

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A conceptual illustration depicting the difference between a whistleblower and a leaker. On one side, a whistleblower stands confidently in front of a government building, holding a document labeled 'Whistleblower Protection', with light shining on them to symbolize justice and transparency. On the other side, a leaker is shown in shadow, standing next to a computer with a glowing screen showing confidential documents, their face obscured to represent secrecy and unauthorized release. The two characters are separated by a line, highlighting the contrast between lawful disclosure and unlawful leaking.

You’ve probably heard today’s major headline about how Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat involving senior members of President Donald Trump's administration where they discussed highly sensitive military plans concerning U.S. airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels, two hours prior to them taking place.

Participants in the group included Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Suffice it to say, that’s a pretty massive security breach.

The idea that they were discussing such sensitive matters over Signal, which is far from secure (and not government-approved for sensitive communications), is certainly cause for concern.

That’s why Goldberg felt the need to go public with this, after removing himself from the group and notifying key people that he was added. He did not disclose any top secret information from the chat, though he did share a…

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