In response to a national security incident, President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed the texting of sensitive military strike plans through the encrypted messaging app Signal, calling it “the only glitch in two months” of his administration. The incident occurred when a group chat, originally intended for senior administration officials discussing military plans against Yemen’s Houthis, mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg.
Goldberg, who had connected with a user named Michael Waltz—presumably Trump’s national security adviser—was accidentally added to the chat, which included 18 senior officials discussing military responses. As detailed in an article posted Monday, Goldberg recounted how the chat contained sensitive details about the U.S. military’s planned strike against Houthi militants, including information about weapons, targets, and timing.
The Blame Game and Lack of Clarity
Trump dismissed the mistake as minor and reiterated his support for Waltz. “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump stated, also suggesting the error was due to an unnamed staff member’s mistake. Waltz, for his part, expressed uncertainty about how Goldberg ended up in the chat, claiming he had never met the editor-in-chief and that the White House‘s technical experts were investigating how Goldberg’s contact was mistakenly added.
Despite Trump’s assertion that it was a minor issue, Democratic lawmakers were quick to criticize the mishandling of sensitive information. They questioned why Signal, a public app, was used to discuss military operations instead of more secure government channels. Some lawmakers even suggested that the information shared in the chat could have potentially endangered American lives, with Senator Mark Warner expressing concern that the information could have been used by enemies like the Houthis to reposition their defenses.
Signal is widely regarded as one of the most secure messaging platforms due to its end-to-end encryption. However, as some experts point out, no system is completely secure if the endpoint—such as the app user’s device—is compromised. The incident has raised questions about the app’s suitability for discussing highly sensitive government matters, particularly when the user group includes people like Goldberg, a journalist.
Senator Angus King also questioned whether the information shared in the chat—such as targets, timing, and weapon details—should have been classified. Despite the claims of no classified material being involved, many critics remain skeptical about how much sensitive information was actually shared.
Democratic Push for Accountability
Democrats have been particularly vocal in their criticism, with some calling for an investigation into how such an oversight could occur at such high levels of government. Senator Ron Wyden, in particular, said he believes there should be consequences for the mishandling of classified information, and called for potential resignations. There has also been a push for an official audit of how government officials use Signal for official communications, with an inquiry into whether such breaches of security should lead to disciplinary actions.
What The Author Thinks
This incident goes beyond a simple “glitch” or oversight. The handling of sensitive military operations on a public messaging platform like Signal is not only careless, but it also compromises the security of the U.S. and its military personnel. While the administration has downplayed the breach, it is crucial that there are consequences to ensure that national security is taken seriously in every context. This mistake shows a lack of consideration for operational security and could very well have dire consequences. The idea that this was just a minor mistake is dangerous and should be thoroughly investigated.
Featured image credit: FMT
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