As Signalgate rages, let us put in a word for the editor of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg. We’re animated by the attacks on his character by President Trump, who called the editor a “total sleazebag.” There may be a touch of the journalistic sleaze in all of us ink-stained wretches, but less of it has rubbed off on Mr. Goldberg than almost any scrivener we know. He is one of the most remarkable journalists of his generation.

We first met Mr. Goldberg in the office of Jonathan Rosen, who was then cultural editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, which we were then editing. Mr. Goldberg, who’d just returned to America from Israel, was looking for a job. What we remember about the moment is that when Mr. Rosen waved us into his office to meet the young writer, Mr. Goldberg didn’t stand up. He was clearly going to be no pushover. So we hired him on the spot.