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By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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Days after a journalist reported that he was accidentally included in a highly sensitive Signal group chat with top Trump administration officials, other reporters dug up the private contact information of senior national security officials on the internet.
The Context
The Trump administration has been hit with a firestorm of public criticism after The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed on Monday that he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat in which top officials discussed their plans to launch military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Read More on Politics
According to Goldberg's reporting and screenshots published by The Atlantic, the conversation took place over several days as officials debated the pros and cons of carrying out the strikes.
It eventually culminated in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sharing highly sensitive operational details about the strikes including timing, precise attack sequencing and information about at least one human target.
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What To Know
German news outlet Der Spiegel reported Wednesday that it was able to find phone numbers, email addresses, and in some cases, passwords for top officials including Hegseth, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Der Spiegel reported that many of the numbers and email addresses that were freely available on the internet still appear to be in use, and in some cases linked to social media accounts and LinkedIn profiles. The outlet found that some of the numbers are also linked to WhatsApp profiles and Signal accounts.
Der Spiegel said it found some contact information for Hegseth, Gabbard and Waltz in commercial databases, adding that it was "particularly easy" for it to dig up Hegseth's phone number and email address.
That number was linked to a WhatsApp account that was recently deleted, the outlet reported.
Wired magazine also reported that Waltz's list of Venmo friends was publicly available until Wednesday afternoon, when the magazine reached out about its discovery.
The report said Waltz's friends on the popular payment app include journalists, military officials, lobbyists and others.
What People Are Saying
Hegseth has denied any classified information was shared in the group chat, writing on X, formerly Twitter: "So, let's me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called 'war plans' and those 'plans' include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information. Those are some really s***** war plans. This only proves one thing: Jeff Goldberg has never seen a war plan or an 'attack plan' (as he now calls it). Not even close."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X: "The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT 'war plans.' This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin."
Goldberg dismissed Leavitt's commentary, telling MSNBC on Wednesday: "I don't even know what that means. I mean, the plain language in the text is—what are they arguing? That an attack is different than a war?"
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a news conference Wednesday: "Obviously, someone made a mistake. Someone made a big mistake and added a journalist. Nothing against journalists, but you're not supposed to be on that thing."
President Donald Trump said he doesn't know if classified information was shared in the message chain, telling reporters in part: "I don't know. I'm not sure. You have to ask the various people involved. I really don't know."
What Happens Next
Waltz said the administration, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, is investigating how Goldberg came to be included in the group chat in the first place. Trump also told reporters he wouldn't be opposed to an inspector general investigation into the breach.
Update 03/26/25 6:52 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.
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