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‘SignalGate scandal’ members enjoyed $1 mn-a-plate candlelight dinner; Here's when and why

Trump administration's to officials, who accidently shared ‘Yemen war plans’, reportedly joined the President for a $1 million fundraising “candlelight” dinner.

Updated on: Mar 26, 2025, 23:35:34 IST
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‘SignalGate scandal’ officials, who accidently shared US military's 'Yemen war plans' with The Atlantic editor, reportedly joined President Donald Trump for a $1 million fundraising “candlelight” dinner at Mar-a-Lago following successful airstrike on Houthi regions in Yemen. The US strikes on Yemen claimed the lives of about 53 individuals, including children.

The US officials, who were added to the Signal chat group like National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attended the “candlelight fundraising dinner,” reported Wired. (REUTERS)
The US officials, who were added to the Signal chat group like National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attended the “candlelight fundraising dinner,” reported Wired. (REUTERS)

Following the US military's bombings in Yemen on March 15, several US officials, who were added to the Signal chat group like National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attended the “candlelight fundraising dinner,” reported Wired.

According to Wired, the dinner also saw attendance of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Trump's Middle East and Ukraine negotiator Steve Witkoff. Even billionaire Elon Musk and his 4-year-old son X joined the US officials.

It seems that no one was aware that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had accidentally joined the Signal group chat after receiving invitation from one of the participants.

According to reports, Pete Hegseth gave very specific data about a highly secret operation targeting Houthi locations in Yemen during the discussion.

A day after the military operations in Yemen, the chat participants stayed in touch and offered each other congratulations. “Good Job Pete and your team!!” read one of the texts sent by profile called “MAR,” which is said to be “Marco Antonio Rubio.”

Also Read: Trump floats new theory about ‘Signal scandal’, shifts blame for war plans leak on ‘somebody that was…’

Trump, Pete Hegseth blast the Atlantic and Goldberg

Slamming Goldberg in his response to the incident, Hegseth called him “a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who has made a profession of peddling hoaxes.”

When asked about his first impression, Trump adopted a similar position, stating that he is “not a big fan of The Atlantic.”

Later in an interview with NBC, trump said that Waltz had “learned a lesson”. He went on to call him a “good boy”, stating that the catastrophic incident was “the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one”.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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