United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday dismissed allegations that top U.S. officials discussed war plans in a Signal group chat, following a report by The Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg. The article claimed Goldberg was mistakenly added to a private Signal thread where officials shared sensitive details about recent U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

When questioned about the group chat by reporters, Hegseth responded sharply, directing his criticism at Goldberg. “You're talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who's made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again,” Hegseth said. “Nobody was texting war plans and that's all I have to say about that,” he added before walking away from the press.

The controversy stems from Goldberg’s assertion that he inadvertently gained access to a private conversation between high-level officials. His report detailed alleged exchanges within the chat that raised concerns over operational security and communications integrity at the Defense Department.

Meanwhile, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed that the Signal message thread referenced in the article “appears to be authentic.” Hughes added that the Council is “reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” suggesting that internal procedures may have allowed for the accidental inclusion of an external participant.

The incident has sparked debate over the security of private communication apps used by government officials, as well as the protocols in place to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive military discussions. Although Hegseth has firmly denied the claim that war plans were shared via Signal, the National Security Council’s acknowledgment of the message thread’s authenticity has added further scrutiny to the situation.

No further comments were provided by the Pentagon or White House at the time of publication. The review by the National Security Council is ongoing, and more information may be released depending on the outcome of the investigation.