National security adviser used chat app for, well, just about everything

Mike Waltz, President Donald Trump’s embattled national security adviser, is reportedly juggling multiple secretive Signal groups—including the now-infamous “Houthi PC small group”—and using them to discuss sensitive national security matters, according to a bombshell report from The Wall Street Journal.Citing two senior U.S. officials familiar with the situation, the Journal revealed that Waltz initiated several Signal chats with Cabinet members on everything from bombing Yemen to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. While Signal is encrypted, it’s hardly impenetrable—raising serious concerns about whether Waltz was playing fast and loose with classified information. Notably, the Journal’s sources declined to say whether any classified information was posted in those chats.For now, Trump is standing by Waltz—albeit begrudgingly. Behind closed doors, the president was reportedly livid, “unload[ing] expletives” and pinning the administration’s first major national security crisis on Waltz. Others in Trump’s inner-circle, according to the Journal, share his frustration. They argued that if a right-wing outlet like Breitbart had broken the Signal story instead of The Atlantic, Waltz would have been booted immediately.Defense Secretary Pete HegsethBut Waltz’s sloppy approach to security isn’t exactly breaking news. This is the same guy who left his Venmo “friends” list public until last week, only scrambling to go private after reporters called him out. So, while he may not be out just yet, his leash seems to be getting shorter by the second. And depending on what Elon Musk unearths in his, uh, “investigation” into the Signal leak, Waltz’s position could get even shakier. “Keeping Waltz is weak and betrays the base that elected President Trump,” said Caroline Sunshine, the former Disney Channel star-turned-deputy communications manager for Trump’s 2024 campaign.Still, as the Journal noted, Trump ultimately decided against firing Waltz—not out of loyalty, but because he didn’t want to give the media and Democrats an easy win. “He didn’t want the media and Democrats to claim a scalp so early in his second administration ... as that would admit wrongdoing,” the report stated.Let’s be clear: Waltz didn’t just make a rookie mistake—he showcased his stunning incompetence on a national stage. He accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a group chat that discussed a planned strike in Yemen. The chat included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other high-ranking officials, making it an absolute disaster of a security breach.But it’s not just his screwup that has Trump world sharpening their knives—it’s the fact that Waltz had Goldberg’s number at all.According to the Journal, the real issue isn’t just the leak itself; it’s that Waltz’s connection to Goldberg suggests the two are closer than he’s letting on. Waltz, for his part, is insisting he had no idea who Goldberg was—an excuse that’s as implausible as it is desperate.And here’s the kicker: Waltz isn’t just under fire for his Signal snafu. Some in Trump’s orbit are using this as an opportunity to settle an old score.According to the Journal, administration officials have started digging up old clips of Waltz trashing Trump during his first presidential run in 2016. In one resurfaced video, Waltz rips into Trump for dodging the Vietnam War draft and even urges voters to “stop Trump now.”“All this has reminded everybody of those facts,” a senior administration official told the Journal, “and those were things that were best conveniently forgotten.”So who’s starting the countdown on how much longer before Trump tosses Waltz out like yesterday’s news?Campaign Action

Mike Waltz, President Donald Trump’s embattled national security adviser, is reportedly juggling multiple secretive Signal groups—including the now-infamous “ Houthi PC small group ”—and using them to discuss sensitive national security matters, according to a bombshell report from The Wall Street Journal . Citing two senior U.S.

officials familiar with the situation, the Journal revealed that Waltz initiated several Signal chats with Cabinet members on everything from bombing Yemen to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. While Signal is encrypted, it’s hardly impenetrable —raising serious concerns about whether Waltz was playing fast and loose with classified information. Notably, the Journal’s sources declined to say whether any classified information was posted in those chats.

For now, Trump is standing by Waltz—albeit begrudgingly. Behind closed doors, the president was reportedly livid, “unload[ing] expletives” and pinning the administration’s first major national security crisis on Waltz. Others in Trump’s inner-circle, according to the Journal, share his frustration.

They argued that if a right-wing outlet like Breitbart had broken the Signal story instead of The Atlantic, Waltz would have been booted immediately. But Waltz’s sloppy approach to security isn’t exactly breaking news. This is the same guy who left his Venmo “friends” list public until last week , only scrambling to go private after reporters called him out.

So, while he may not be out just yet, his leash seems to be getting shorter by the second. And depending on what Elon Musk unearths in his, uh, “ investigation ” into the Signal leak, Waltz’s position could get even shakier. “Keeping Waltz is weak and betrays the base that elected President Trump,” said Caroline Sunshine, the former Disney Channel star-turned-deputy communications manager for Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Still, as the Journal noted, Trump ultimately decided against firing Waltz—not out of loyalty, but because he didn’t want to give the media and Democrats an easy win. “He didn’t want the media and Democrats to claim a scalp so early in his second administration ..

. as that would admit wrongdoing,” the report stated. Let’s be clear: Waltz didn’t just make a rookie mistake—he showcased his stunning incompetence on a national stage.

He accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a group chat that discussed a planned strike in Yemen. The chat included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other high-ranking officials, making it an absolute disaster of a security breach. But it’s not just his screwup that has Trump world sharpening their knives—it’s the fact that Waltz had Goldberg’s number at all.

According to the Journal, the real issue isn’t just the leak itself; it’s that Waltz’s connection to Goldberg suggests the two are closer than he’s letting on. Waltz, for his part, is insisting he had no idea who Goldberg was—an excuse that’s as implausible as it is desperate. And here’s the kicker: Waltz isn’t just under fire for his Signal snafu.

Some in Trump’s orbit are using this as an opportunity to settle an old score. According to the Journal, administration officials have started digging up old clips of Waltz trashing Trump during his first presidential run in 2016. In one resurfaced video, Waltz rips into Trump for dodging the Vietnam War draft and even urges voters to “stop Trump now.

” “All this has reminded everybody of those facts,” a senior administration official told the Journal, “and those were things that were best conveniently forgotten.” So who’s starting the countdown on how much longer before Trump tosses Waltz out like yesterday’s news?.