# The specific clusterfuck of discussing war plans over Signal, a consumer cellphone app **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [March 26, 2025, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157 "2025-03-26T21:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/81 "2025-03-26T23:03:04Z")
Two things. First, they’re all complicit – Hegseth is the one who actually posted the worst of the info, but nobody else thought to call out what was happening. And second, they know that nobody has to take the fall. They can just lie and lie and in 2 days Trump will do something even more outrageous and we’ll have no choice but to move on. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/82 "2025-03-26T23:31:40Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > They can just lie and lie and in 2 days Trump will do something even more outrageous and we’ll have no choice but to move on. Boy, I hope your wrong! This seems to be gaining a little traction, from what I can see. It’s got a lot of folks pretty hot. ---
**Author:** ![natureboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@natureboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/natureboy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/83 "2025-03-26T23:32:42Z")
Yep, this is the extra-order effect. Why in God’s name would Israel, the UK, France, (name the country) trust our stooges with sensitive information. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/84 "2025-03-26T23:47:23Z")
> “Do you care about American lives—” the reporter began. > > “Nonono!” said Greene. Pretty much sums it all up, doesn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/85 "2025-03-26T23:49:26Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > They can just lie and lie and in 2 days Trump will do something even more outrageous and we’ll have no choice but to move on. Who would have thought the old country would have so much shit in it to flood the zone with! So far it is working, but there _must_ be a tipping point. There always is. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/86 "2025-03-27T00:24:15Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Boy, I hope your wrong! This seems to be gaining a little traction, from what I can see. It’s got a lot of folks pretty hot. Don’t worry. The Administration has [top men](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoy4_h7Pb3M) working on this so it never happens again. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/87 "2025-03-27T00:27:58Z")
Eh…nothing happened apparently: 🙄 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/z0l3dNQj-zc/maxresdefault.jpg "Democratic star catches Trump official in a LIE in hearing") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0l3dNQj-zc) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/88 "2025-03-27T00:32:14Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I’m thinking, why doesn’t Vance take one for the team, and say it was all his fault? He’s the only one who can’t just be fired, and impeachment will take forever and ultimately fail. Then he has four years to bullshit people into forgetting about this episode. What evidence is there that Vance cares more about the welfare of the team than he cares about the welfare of J.D. Vance? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/89 "2025-03-27T00:41:22Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Meanwhile the Trumpites need to keep insisting that because we weren’t at WAR with Yemen, the entire _Atlantic_ premise that WAR PLANS were revealed is a hoax. So there! But, but, but Firxt Felon47 invoked a _ **wartime** _ law to justify/excuse his mass deportation. “So there!” right back at you! > [@Horatius](#): > > I’m thinking, why doesn’t Vance take one for the team, and say it was all his fault? He’s the only one who can’t just be fired, and impeachment will take forever and ultimately fail. Then he has four years to bullshit people into forgetting about this episode. Not to mention it’s pretty pointless to impeach the Vice President unless it’s fairly obvious the President is on the way out early. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > “Yeah, I’m an American and I would like to hear your answer to what she’s asking,” said the second reporter. I believe I’ve posted the following before. At every press conference until the end of this debacle of a mal/mis-administration, every time the orange ogre or his flacks refuses to answer a question and moves onto another reporter, that reporter should repeat the question. Repeat ad infinitum. > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Who would have thought the old country would have so much shit in it to flood the zone with! So far it is working, but there _must_ be a tipping point. There always is. Says who? We’ve known for quite some time that with Firxt Felon47, there is no bottom; there’s nothing beneath him. > [@natureboy](#): > > Why in God’s name would Israel, the UK, France, (name the country) trust our stooges with sensitive information. Hasn’t a senior French government official already publicly stated the United States is not longer an ally to anyone? I’ve lost track where it was posted; however, the issue of this stuff not being actually classified is nonsense. When I was assigned to a Navy air wing commanding officer’s staff (yes, they really do have enlisted on their staff), I was the main person for consolidating and proofing the various setions of the air wing’s order of battle manual which included certain tactics and a lot of information about the ships and aircraft involved. That stuff was classified Top Secret. Plans to carry out an actual imminent attack are not just something you can talk about but probably shouldn’t. They’re highly sensitive information which needs to be protected by controlled access to _responsible_ people. This nonsense the Gang of Two to the Four is spewing reminds me of an old military maxim: _Don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining_. Another thing, how the fuck is getting us actively involved in another shooting war supposed to be keeping us out of wars? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/90 "2025-03-27T01:04:37Z")
Talk about the blind leading the blind; [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5215547-white-house-asks-musk-investigate-signal/](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5215547-white-house-asks-musk-investigate-signal/) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/91 "2025-03-27T01:08:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Marjorie Taylor Greene weighs in. [Post by Occupy Democrats.] If you’d like to watch the exchange, you can find it here: > **[Watch MTG’s Crazed Rant at Foreign Reporter Go Terribly Wrong](https://www.thedailybeast.com/watch-marjorie-taylor-greenes-crazed-rant-at-foreign-reporter-go-terribly-wrong/)** > > The GOP rep’s attempt to shut down a U.K. journalist backfired when she got an unexpected reality check. ---
**Author:** ![natureboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@natureboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/natureboy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/92 "2025-03-27T01:19:32Z")
Ketamine is a hell of a drug. What’s MAGA King’s excuse? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/93 "2025-03-27T02:38:27Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > The third issue is that steps need to be taken to strip unsecure apps like ‘signal’ from all the White House phones… They weren’t using White House phones. They were using personal phones. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/94 "2025-03-27T02:41:58Z")
“We’ve investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong!” One of the oldest tropes there is yet it still happens over and over again. Why do people keep falling for it? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/95 "2025-03-27T02:46:39Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > They weren’t using White House phones. They were using personal phones. They shouldn’t be using personal phones until after they leave office. And no, I don’t mean ‘after they leave the office’; I mean ‘after they leave office’. The post-Trump years. Obama having to give up his blackberry is my cite. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/96 "2025-03-27T03:24:55Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > They weren’t using White House phones. They were using personal phones. Fascinating. And when I have to attend to business at the United States Embassy in Beijing, I’m not even allowed to bring my phone into the building. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/97 "2025-03-27T03:26:04Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > They shouldn’t be using personal phones until after they leave office. Uh, yeah. That’s part of this scandal. Because they were. And not just to call their mom on weekends, but to plan military actions for the US. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/98 "2025-03-27T03:34:32Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > That’s part of this scandal. Because they were. I think this has been a common thing among many high ranking officials. IIRC Hillary Clinton used her own phone way more than she should have. Apparently it is a nuisance to use the secure phones (being devoid of apps and features deemed insecure) and people at this level just somehow feel their convenience is more important. I am not excusing it but it seems it happens more than we would like. I’d be willing to bet foreign governments exploit that a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/99 "2025-03-27T03:59:17Z")
Do you remember the scene in “Airplane” when Ted tells Elaine the war plan for the next day, but can’t tell her a mundane detail because it’s classified? This used to be comedy. But it looks like Republicans were taking notes. Seeing how they’re trying to spin what “war plans” are and what constitutes confidentiality is exactly this scene. Jesus, is Airplane now going to be considered a documentary? [Scene from Airplane](https://youtu.be/3JFDCd7JjTw?si=Uni_DSU2g60xg3om) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/100 "2025-03-27T04:41:40Z")
You mean [this movie](https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Airplane_script.htm)? I can’t seem to find it in the script. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157.md?page=6)