Feature on Mike Waltz's iPhone Led to Signalgate: Report

The iPhone feature that led Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to be added to the Trump administration's Signal group chat last month, colloquially referred to as "Signalgate," has been revealed in an exclusive Guardian report.

The string of events began in October 2024, three anonymous sources told the Guardian. Goldberg emailed the Trump administration about a critical story the publisher planned to run.

The email chain was forward to Trump's then spokesperson Brian Hughes, who sent the email body along with Goldberg's contact information, in a text message to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to brief him on the upcoming story, according to the the House information technology office's forensic review of the incident, per the Guardian. He never ended up speaking with the editor, however.

Waltz's iPhone then allegedly saved Goldberg's number in a "contact suggestion update" for Hughes, who is now the national security council's director of communication.

At the time, the top security official did not realize his now spokesperson's contact information had been updated with Goldberg's number until he went to add Hughes to the "Houthi PC small group" Signal group chat last month while the group discussed the U.S. attack on Yemen.

President Donald Trump has defended Waltz throughout the ongoing bipartisan backlash for posing serious security risks and for discussing sensitive information over Signal. He was briefed on the latest findings last week but remained steadfast in asserting Waltz would not be fired.