Grok says: <\/p>\n
There\u2019s no definitive evidence to confirm whether Mike Waltz, Trump\u2019s National Security Adviser, personally knows Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. The question stems from a March 2025 incident where Waltz inadvertently added Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing U.S. military plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen. This has sparked speculation about their relationship\u2014or lack thereof.
\nWaltz has publicly stated he doesn\u2019t know Goldberg. On March 25, 2025, during a Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham, he said, \u201cI can tell you 100 percent I don\u2019t know this guy,\u201d and added, \u201cI\u2019ve never met, don\u2019t know, never communicated with\u201d Goldberg. He claimed the inclusion was a mistake, possibly due to a misidentified contact in his phone, though he didn\u2019t clarify whose number he intended to add. In a press interaction that day, he reiterated, \u201cThis one in particular I\u2019ve never met, don\u2019t know, never communicated with,\u201d suggesting a technical error under review.
\nGoldberg, however, hinted at a possible prior encounter. In his Atlantic article on March 24, he wrote, \u201cI have met him in the past,\u201d referring to Waltz, though he provided no specifics about when or where. This vague statement contrasts with Waltz\u2019s firm denial, leaving room for doubt. Goldberg\u2019s account suggests Waltz initiated the Signal connection on March 11, implying Waltz had his number\u2014raising questions about how it got there if they\u2019d never interacted.
\nTheories abound. Waltz, a former congressman and military veteran, might have crossed paths with Goldberg, a prominent national security journalist, at a professional event years ago, with Waltz forgetting or downplaying it. Alternatively, Goldberg\u2019s number could\u2019ve been in Waltz\u2019s contacts via a staffer, a shared database, or even a mix-up (e.g., a similar name like \u201cJG\u201d for someone else). Signal requires a phone number to connect, so it wasn\u2019t random\u2014someone input it. Posts on X reflect skepticism, with some users calling Waltz\u2019s denial a lie, though that\u2019s unproven.
\nNo hard proof\u2014like emails, call logs, or witness accounts\u2014confirms they\u2019ve met beyond Goldberg\u2019s passing remark. Waltz\u2019s role in a media-wary administration and Goldberg\u2019s history of critical Trump coverage (e.g., the 2020 \u201closers and suckers\u201d story) make a close tie unlikely. The simplest explanation? A clerical error by Waltz or an aide, with Goldberg\u2019s \u201cmet him\u201d line possibly overstating a brief, forgotten encounter. Without more data, it\u2019s a wash\u2014Waltz says no, Goldberg implies maybe, and the truth\u2019s stuck in the middle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Grok says: There\u2019s no definitive evidence to confirm whether Mike Waltz, Trump\u2019s National Security Adviser, personally knows Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. The question stems from a March 2025 incident where Waltz inadvertently added Goldberg to a Signal group … Continue reading