What emojis would you use to reply to a successful bombing operation? Well according to national security advisor Michael Waltz: fist bump emoji, American flag emoji, fire emoji.
On March 13, Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg got added to a Signal group chat called the “Houthi PC small group.” The group chat turned out to be a legitimate medium for foreign policy debate as the Atlantic shared screenshots of federal government member officials such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, debating whether to launch the airstrikes on Yemen. The inclusion of the Atlantic journalist was not an intentional act, but rather a careless mistake. So how could the government, who are responsible for running the country on a day-to-day basis, let this happen?
According to the Guardian’s sources from the White House and an interview on Fox News, Waltz revealed that he more or less accidentally invited Goldberg when he was intending to add Trump’s spokesperson Brian Hughes. Fortunately, Goldberg only went as far as to expose the incident (while still withholding messages perceived to be of intelligence value). But what if Waltz wasn’t “lucky?” What if it was an adversary of the US that got a hold on this intelligence? The very use of Signal and the lack of attentiveness to this operation compromised national security and potentially endangered our country. As young people, journalists, and American citizens, we are not only frustrated by the recent moves of this administration, but appalled at the obvious stupidity.
The blatant stupidity of the current administration has been broadcast to not only American citizens but also to foreign countries. The group chat was exposed to contain a couple of messages dissing Europe, which will no doubt further sour US relations with the EU. This also creates the dangerous possibility of foreign adversaries using this information to their advantage- as the administration has shown it’s easier than ever to intercept future US military plans.
The Trump administration has had a large emphasis on speed and efficiency. The effects of which can be seen with the implementation of the Department of Government Efficiency and the mass firing across multiple federal agencies. The use of the Signal app is also consistent with this new pace, as it’s more efficient than other forms of classified communication.
However, there are still specific rules that must be followed when talking about classified information. Don’t think that these government officials didn’t have access to secure rooms with computer systems designed for secret discussions like these, which importantly make it very difficult for outsiders to intercept. These systems also don’t allow you to bring personal devices or connect to the web. Therefore, the Signal app is convenient for allowing officials to toggle between organizing foreign protocols and scrolling on Instagram, if needed. But that definitely doesn’t leave any excuse for the lack of precaution that these officials took. There are no ifs, whens, or buts when it comes to the safety of our country.
Text group messaging is a useful tool that came with the rise of mobile technology. It’s convenient for hangout plans, family get-togethers, group projects, and apparently, for major policy decisions. However, at the end of the day, no matter how encrypted it claims to be, Signal is still a personal messaging service. This false sense of security lulled members of Trump’s administration, including Hegseth and Waltz. The stunning hypocrisy of this administration has been revealed as they have demonstrated that they prioritize convenience over national security.
One of the most terrifying parts of this group chat, is the unseriousness of it all, from its conception to its discovery. We unfortunately cannot make up the fact that the Trump administration is using a text group chat to communicate– and in a clumsy oversight, added the editor of a top newspaper.
This incident is an example of the bewildering changes that have come with Trump’s rise in power. And as long as Trump and his billionaire friends can continue to abuse the system, he stays in power.
Frankly, members of the democratic party are not pushing as hard as they should be to make Trump and his subordinates answer for their actions. This inaction is dangerous as we must push for accountability. The most important fact of the matter is that this is a betrayal to the American people. An extreme amount of responsibility is put into the hands of these powerful government officials, and yet they have failed to deliver their promises of an improved, and most importantly, secure nation.
