Trump leadership team accidentally invites Atlantic editor to highly classified Signal war-planning channel (2 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

This needs a thread of its own - we can pull the posts out of Misc Trump. This story is (1) absolutely mindblowing and (2) not mindblowing at all because Trump has never really understood the value of high-caliber professionals and has surrounded himself with dramatically unqualified dolts.

I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.”

A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.”

The message continued, “Pls provide the best staff POC from your team for us to coordinate with over the next couple days and over the weekend. Thx.”

The term principals committee generally refers to a group of the senior-most national-security officials, including the secretaries of defense, state, and the treasury, as well as the director of the CIA. It should go without saying—but I’ll say it anyway—that I have never been invited to a White House principals-committee meeting, and that, in my many years of reporting on national-security matters, I had never heard of one being convened over a commercial messaging app.

One minute later, a person identified only as “MAR”—the secretary of state is Marco Antonio Rubio—wrote, “Mike Needham for State,” apparently designating the current counselor of the State Department as his representative. At that same moment, a Signal user identified as “JD Vance” wrote, “Andy baker for VP.” One minute after that, “TG” (presumably Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, or someone masquerading as her) wrote, “Joe Kent for DNI.” Nine minutes later, “Scott B”—apparently Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, or someone spoofing his identity, wrote, “Dan Katz for Treasury.” At 4:53 p.m., a user called “Pete Hegseth” wrote, “Dan Caldwell for DoD.” And at 6:34 p.m., “Brian” wrote “Brian McCormack for NSC.” One more person responded: “John Ratcliffe” wrote at 5:24 p.m. with the name of a CIA official to be included in the group. I am not publishing that name, because that person is an active intelligence officer.

The principals had apparently assembled. In all, 18 individuals were listed as members of this group, including various National Security Council officials; Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East and Ukraine negotiator; Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff; and someone identified only as “S M,” which I took to stand for Stephen Miller. I appeared on my own screen only as “JG.”

That was the end of the Thursday text chain.

full story: https://www.theatlantic.com/politic...-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/

 

[coldseat]

“What it was, we believe, is somebody that was on the line with permission, somebody that was with Mike Waltz, worked for Mike Waltz at a lower level, had, I guess, Goldberg's number or called through the app, and somehow this guy ended up on the call,” the president said.

Dumbass doesn't know the difference between a conference call and a group chat.

 

[Optimus Prime]

 

[MT15]

 

[superchuck500]

So in light of allegations that Goldberg is lying or mischaracterizing, Atlantic is releasing more details - which they chose not to do in the original story due to the sensitivity.

Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal

The administration has downplayed the importance of the text messages inadvertently sent to The Atlantic’s editor in chief.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[superchuck500]

 

[superchuck500]

The dumbest thing is that this is clearly Hegseth being all “hey look at me now!”

 

[DaveXA]

Highly likely this would be considered TS considering this was near real-time military planning/action. They were talking about the target arriving at his GF's house. Without question this is all at minimum at the Secret classification level, but when you combine multiple elements of Secret Intel, it could easily result in being upgraded to TS or TS/SCI.

This is simply an unprecedented blunder. There has to be firings and resignations over this colossal screw up. And I'd be yelling this if the Democrats were in charge. Anyone politicizing this is a grade A idiot.

 

[Lapaz]

It's absolutely wild. And these clowns go on and on about how "DEI means you have less qualified people" - what a forking joke.

Imagine if we had the Trump administration before D-Day, instead of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Secretary of State Cordell Hull, and General Eisenhower? Operation Warlord would've failed, hundreds of thousands more would've died, and Europe would've been conquered by Nazi Germany. The quality of the Roosevelt administration is such a stark contrast to the incompetent and corrupt Trump administration.

 

[Dragon]

The administration needs to get their house in order or allies will stop sharing sensitive information

• Allies seek lessons: Responding to the Signal leak, the leaders of Canada and Australia said lessons need to be learned. The US is a key member of the Five Eyes alongside Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The grouping of historically close nations share intelligence in one of the world’s tightest multilateral arrangements.

 

[Lapaz]

Hegseth is lying. He should be hauled before Congress and made to answer for what happened as well as the CIA director - they both texted specific plans involving targets, positions of US military members and specific types of weapons to be used - prior to the operation.

They violated several security laws and the records act since the texts are set to automatically disappear.

If Hegseth were called to testify on this, I think he would have a Jack Nicholson moment like the one from a Few Good Men, and I would love to then see someone say, put the handcuffs on him.

 

[efil4]

So in light of allegations that Goldberg is lying or mischaracterizing, Atlantic is releasing more details - which they chose not to do in the original story due to the sensitivity.

Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal

The administration has downplayed the importance of the text messages inadvertently sent to The Atlantic’s editor in chief.

www.theatlantic.com

this i love- its not going away. Making it very difficult for the Administration to just brush off.

Coupled with the repeated changing stories from many involved to "no classified info"

 

[Lapaz]

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/24/mike-waltz-signal-chat-resign-00246541

At least some of the responses that I heard in the hearing from Waltz were more direct and serious. Gabbard was deflecting and playing word games. Waltz screwed up by adding Goldberg, but everyone on the text screwed-up by using a commercial application that is not approved for classified discussions. The focus shouldn't be on a mistake that was made by adding the wrong person to a discussion. Everyone has made that type of mistake. The focus should be on the atrocious lack of judgement of using a commercial application that any competent adversary can hack. That is not just a mistake. That is clear message that you are incompetent. I've known many people who had their computers wiped for far less material that was on the fringes of being classified. I don't know anyone that would be stupid enough to talk about that level of military action on a commercial application. Even the comparisons to Clinton pale. She wasn't discussing life or death decisions. She was discussing fringe classification issues of relationships with other countries. This administration is monumentally stupid, and that's on top of being monumentally corrupt. It incredibly makes me long for the competence of the old Trump administration.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[Lapaz]

Im with you.

I posted earlier that Google had issued a "threat alert" earlier this year that Signal was a definite target of Russian intelligence.

With that in mind, 17 administration members used Signal to communicate the Houthi strike. Not to mention gave Europe CONCRETE evidence that the Administration is NOT a friendly one for them, so act accordingly.

But if Russia intelligence is targeting, who are their allies? Well, Iran, China and NK. Am i supposed to assume that Russia is NOT sharing intel with them?


"America First" was simply a gitchy campaign slogan to gin up the base to get elected and enact their real plans. And i wouldnt doubt for a second that there are many other "Signal chat groups" that actively discuss all of this among the Administration.

It is a really big deal when you put in the context of National Security AND this "America First" mantra. You now get the sense that none of that really matters, other than enacting their agenda. Thats what worries me.

Exactly! Congress needs to investigate what other discussions are occurring on Signal and other commercial applications that are unapproved for classified information. Democrats should immediately propose legislation to outlaw this, since apparently DoD policy isn't enough, and it will also keep this in the news. Furthermore, I would encourage states to pass similar legislation to assure their national guardsmen don't use it, which will also keep it in the news.

 

[efil4]

"Guess why?"

im LOL - he is literally like " SEEE?!?!? i didnt get any messages in Moscow because Signal is only on my PERSONAL DEVICE"

NAH.

the self-own in that statement along with him tweeting @realDonaldTrump as if some sort of CC to him....amazing.

We are only 65 days in to this Administration and i am willing to bet that there will be a "Hey Signalgate, hold my beer..." event soon enough

 

[superchuck500]

“It gets sucked in”

This guy has to go - he has no business being NSA.

 

[efil4]

“It gets sucked in”

This guy has to go - he has no business being NSA.

Director of the NSA

Director
of
National
SECURITY
Agency

thinks contacts just get "pulled into" the creation of a chat group by osmosis.

You know who else thinks this? My wife- who is totally technologically disabled.

JFC - says he created the group, didnt see this loser in the group.....then pivots to "now whether HE did it deliberately"

LOL

 

[superchuck500]

Director of the NSA

Director
of
National
SECURITY
Agency

thinks contacts just get "pulled into" the creation of a chat group by osmosis.

You know who else thinks this? My wife- who is totally technologically disabled.

He’s THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR - simply unbelievable