President Donald Trump responded on Monday to The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who revealed that he was inadvertently added to a group chat where senior Cabinet officials discussed airstrikes on Houthi terrorists in Yemen.

Goldberg disclosed that he connected with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on Signal and was unexpectedly added to a group chat titled “Houthi PC small group.” In this chat, officials including Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard discussed potential strikes against the Houthis amid disruptions to shipping channels in the Middle East.

When asked about the incident, Trump told reporters he was unaware of the reports regarding Goldberg’s accidental inclusion in the chat.

Here’s a brief transcript of the exchange:

**REPORTER:** Mr. President, your reaction to the story in The Atlantic that said some of your top cabinet officials and aides have been discussing very sensitive material through Signal and included an Atlantic reporter for that. What is your response to that, and are you going to take it—

**TRUMP:** I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it’s a magazine that’s going out of business. I think it’s not much of a magazine, but I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?

**REPORTER:** They were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive materials, and—

**TRUMP:** Having to do with what? Having to do with what? What were they talking about?

**REPORTER:** The Houthis.

**TRUMP:** With the Houthis. You mean the attack on the Houthis? Well, it couldn’t have been very effective because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.

WATCH:

Brian Hughes, spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed later on Monday that the group text messages seen by Goldberg were indeed valid. “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” Hughes stated. He added, “The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”

The messages reportedly showed top Trump officials debating the merits of the airstrikes. Vance expressed concerns about aiding Europe without guarantees of return, noting that the Houthi attacks primarily affected European trade routes. “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now,” Vance wrote. He suggested delaying the strikes for a month to better communicate the importance of the operation and assess the economic situation.

Hegseth supported Vance’s concerns but emphasized the need for decisive action to avoid appearing “indecisive” and to ensure that the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza would not collapse if Israel acted first. Waltz noted that the U.S. would need to reopen the shipping lanes, and they were working with the Department of Defense and State to determine the associated costs to be levied on European nations.

Vance reiterated his reluctance to “bail Europe out again,” but ultimately agreed to support Hegseth’s decision. Hegseth responded, “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close.”