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President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he will meet with Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief and the journalist at the heart of the "Signalgate" controversy involving key Trump administration officials.
The president also said he'll be interviewed at the White House by the magazine—which has published some of the most searing critiques of his presidency—for an upcoming story.
Newsweek reached out to The White House and The Atlantic for comment.
Why It Matters
Although Trump and Goldberg aren't known for having a warm relationship, the two are now set to meet face-to-face, according to a recent post by the president on Truth Social.
On Thursday, Trump confirmed he will sit down for an interview with Goldberg at the White House. He made the announcement shortly after accusing Goldberg of being "responsible for many fictional stories" about him. Trump specifically cited The Atlantic's explosive 2020 report that claimed he referred to Americans who died in war as "losers" and "suckers," along with the recent "Signalgate" controversy.
"I am doing this interview out of curiosity," Trump wrote. "And as a competition with myself—to see if it's possible for The Atlantic to be 'truthful.'"
Atlantic staff writers Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker will also join Goldberg for the interview, which Trump said will be part of a story titled "The Most Consequential President of This Century."
"Are they capable of writing a fair story on 'TRUMP'? The way I look at it, what can be so bad—I WON!" Trump concluded in his extended post.
Control the Narrative
This isn't the first time Trump has tried to outmaneuver his critics by bringing them closer. Engaging with a publication that has long challenged him may be a gamble for the president, but it's also a familiar tactic: confront criticism head-on and attempt to seize control of the narrative.
However, the interview follows yet another report—this time from The New York Times—which revealed on Sunday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive military details in a separate Signal messaging chat, this one with his wife and brother.
Neither the White House nor Hegseth denied that he shared such information in the second chat. Instead, they focused their responses on blaming disgruntled employees for leaking to the media, while insisting that no classified information was disclosed.
What People Are Saying
Trump on Truth Social on Thursday: "I am doing this interview out of curiosity, and as a competition with myself, just to see if it's possible for The Atlantic to be "truthful."
Jordan Weissmann, reporter at Yahoo Finance, posted on X: "Trump grudgingly admitting Goldberg was "somewhat more successful" with SignalGate is one of the funniest "OK, you got us there" moments I've ever seen".
What Happens Next
As of Thursday afternoon, the exact timing of the meeting between Donald Trump and The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg remains unclear. While Trump confirmed the interview will take place "later today" via a post on Truth Social, neither his team nor The Atlantic has released a specific hour for the session.
Update 04/23/25, 1:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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About the writer
Jesus is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, his focus is reporting on politics, current ... Read more