The revelation that President Donald Trump’s national security team discussed military strikes in Yemen on an insecure chat group using the Signal app suggests a careless attitude towards America’s secrets and the safety of American forces on a dangerous mission.
This is the conclusion of an article published by CNN, which also recalls the case of Hillary Clinton, constantly blamed by Donald Trump and Republicans for using a private email server for messages containing classified information. Ten years ago, Trump even threatened her with prison. The irony is that the same officials who demanded harsh sanctions against Hillary Clinton are now involved in a much more serious incident.
Hegseth denies information leak, White House says messages appear „authentic”
Despite the scandal’s magnitude, Republicans have been willing to downplay it. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated that „no one was sending war plans messages” on a Signal chat. „We’re talking about a so-called journalist (Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic – ed.), a deceptive and completely discredited individual who has made a career out of promoting hoaxes,” Hegseth said on Fox News.
Despite Hegseth's denial, the leak was indirectly confirmed by National Security Council spokesperson, Brian Hughes, who stated that the discussion "appears to be authentic." The administration is investigating how a "mistakenly entered number" ended up in the group, he added.
Flawed national security process and much incompetence
The messages from the chat, revealed on Monday in an article by Jeffrey Goldberg - who was accidentally added to the Signal group - indicate a flawed national security process and much incompetence at a time when the U.S. faces multiple global threats.
The use of the Signal app, an encrypted platform but running on phones vulnerable to intrusions by foreign intelligence services, shows a total disregard for strict laws regarding the handling of classified information, laws that would pose significant problems for lower-ranking officials.
"This was a serious negligence. This is exactly the wording from the criminal law - 'serious negligence in handling classified information' ... if these are disclosed to an unauthorized person. And on that chat, there was a journalist. That means there was a disclosure," said Ryan Goodman, former special advisor to the Department of Defense, to CNN.
Beth Sanner, a former high-ranking official in the intelligence field, stated that although the conversation on Signal may not have been compromised by an enemy intelligence service, the risk of high-ranking officials using mobile phones to communicate about such a sensitive subject is enormous.
What raises concern
National security scandals are an obsession in Washington, as everyone - officials, legislators, analysts, and journalists - understand the seriousness of these issues and the severity of the law in such cases.
But for many Americans outside the capital, who are more concerned about rising prices, health, or their children's education, such issues may seem distant.
However, beyond the risks for military personnel in combat, a scandal of this kind offers a broader picture of the character and modus operandi of the administration, which usually reflects the personality of the occupant of the Oval Office.
The disclosure of the Signal conversation shows detailed operational plans and other classified information regarding American military attacks on Yemen placed in a discussion group where journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was apparently added by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, inadvertently.
The Trump administration has not offered any public explanation for the existence of this discussion, raising multiple questions that are likely to become increasingly problematic as new details emerge.
Among these:
- The idea that Trump's top officials would discuss such a sensitive subject outside a classified framework is astonishing. More surprising is the fact that Pete Hegseth (Pentagon chief) would post operational details about the Yemen attacks, including information about targets, weapons, and attack sequencing, according to The Atlantic.
- The White House has not explained why officials did not use available facilities for classified discussions, such as secure phones, special computer systems, or locations like the Situation Room at the White House or specialized facilities available in their agencies, in Washington and during international trips.
- There are no signs that the multiple attacks on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen were compromised. But discussing such aspects outside a secure framework jeopardizes the safety of American forces. It is an extremely bad image for Hegseth, who promised to bring back "common sense" in leading the Pentagon and to do everything to protect "our fighters."
- The incident seems to confirm the fears of critics who warned that Trump appointed top officials lacking experience but chosen for media effect, including Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter. Waltz's accidental decision, a decorated Special Forces veteran, to add Goldberg to the Signal discussion is particularly puzzling.
- The conversation also raises the question of how many other national security discussions have taken place outside a secure framework. Given the colloquial tone of the messaging group, it is hard to believe that this was an exception.
- And, according to The Atlantic reports, this discussion may have violated the law, specifically the Espionage Act, which prohibits the publication or removal of classified materials from their authorized storage places. "If we had an independent Department of Justice, I'm sure this case would be investigated. If it were lower-ranking officials, an investigation would certainly be opened," said Ryan Goodman.
- The relaxed attitude towards national secrets comes directly from the top, although the president was not directly involved in this conversation. After all, Trump was charged with illegally retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence, but the case was later dismissed by a judge appointed by Trump. Also, at the beginning of his first term, the president revealed classified information to the Russian Foreign Minister and the Russian ambassador in Washington, leading to the withdrawal of a U.S. undercover agent from within the Russian government.
- It is evident hypocrisy that high officials of the Trump administration used a third-party app to share classified information, given that Trump and his allies constantly attacked Hillary Clinton in 2016 for using a private server for her official emails when she was Secretary of State. At the same time, some administration officials have already opened investigations into information leaks, including Hegseth at the Pentagon, CNN further reports.
- Many Republicans have dismissed this extraordinary breach of classified material rules as a minor incident. Mike Johnson casually said that the administration will "fix the situation so it doesn't happen again." Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, a close ally of Trump, argued, "We all make mistakes" and that this is just a "transition and learning" phase for the new administration.
- Trump, informed about the scandal on Monday afternoon, was more concerned with criticizing journalist Goldberg than analyzing the seriousness of the incident. Currently, he has no intention of firing Mike Waltz, which would mean acknowledging that he made wrong choices in appointing his officials.