# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/101 "2025-03-27T05:10:29Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > 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. Same for us, but with federal research centers (think Argonne, INL, etc). We can’t enter with our phones. And as I have said above, we have to setup highly secure environments just to access CUI. These idiots were definitely dealing with CUI or higher, on personal phones over consumer apps. If we did the same thing, as low-level nobodies, we’d be up shit creek without our funding. For folks that don’t normally deal with federal regs, this is a HUUUGGGE deal. Feds don’t fuck around. Unless they are planning on carpet bombing a shit-hole country (their words, not mine). Then you can do whatever the fuck you want apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/102 "2025-03-27T05:12:00Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > 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) I was thinking of the precise scene as well. ---
**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 27, 2025, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/103 "2025-03-27T06:22:46Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > 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? I used to have to have inspections from the Dept of Ag and the Gov’t guy started telling me about the Camel Ranch down the road. He told me about the old married couples health problems, financial difficulties and legal trouble their kid was in. I asked them how many camels were over there. He said, “I can’t tell you that. Confidential.” I thought he was kidding, but remembered he had no sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/104 "2025-03-27T13:37:44Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > Obama having to give up his blackberry is my cite. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > IIRC Hillary Clinton used her own phone way more than she should have. Well, he was Black and she was female. **OF COURSE** those people can’t be allowed to use their personal phones. Duh. * * * > [@wguy123](#): > > Feds don’t fuck around. Apparently times have changed. 🧐 ---
**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, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/105 "2025-03-27T13:50:06Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Jesus, is Airplane now going to be considered a documentary? If they ever bomb the storage depots at Daiquiri, then we’ll know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/106 "2025-03-27T14:03:08Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > If they ever bomb the storage depots at Daiquiri, then we’ll know for sure. Just keep an eye out for WhiskeyLeaks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/107 "2025-03-27T14:30:19Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > Obama having to give up his blackberry is my cite. As I remember, what they replaced his Blackberry with was a secure device made by Lockheed-Martin. ---
**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, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/108 "2025-03-27T14:53:54Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > Obama having to give up his blackberry is my cite. This is what brought down Hillary Clinton…the fact that she refused to give up her blackberry, and instead opted for a private email server that would accommodate that device. Secure government email servers wouldn’t allow blackberries because of the security risks. If only she had listened… ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/109 "2025-03-27T14:56:11Z")
Yeah, I’m sure that’s “the” reason and not all the other stuff, including years and years of Fox News mudslinging, Russian interference, and the general shit-baggery of Congressional Republicans. If it wasn’t Benghazi and Buttery Males, they would have found something else and the brainwashed zombie masses who vote for them would have eaten it up like manna from heaven Let’s face it - to the extent they care about secure communications, it is (1) to use as a wedge issue to attack perceived enemies and (2) to deny they have no fucking clue how to secure their own ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/110 "2025-03-27T15:00:34Z")
I would feel just a little better if the prez took this even half as seriously as his tax returns leaking. Not that I would expect him to, but just saying it’s a witch hunt shows his old pattern, and shows no concern for our nation and national security. Again not that I would expect him to care, but for the sake of our nation it would be nice to see him saying ‘heads will roll’ as opposed to ‘this is nothing but a witch hunt’. As it stands Signal is not the problem, it is a symptom of the problem. (praying for our nation, and the peace of God to come to us all.) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/111 "2025-03-27T15:01:03Z")
If it wasn’t for double standards, Trump supporters would have no standards at all: [**Jared Kushner Used Private Email In Trump Administration, Lawyer Confirms (NPR)**](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/25/553427374/jared-kushner-used-private-email-in-trump-administration-lawyer-confirms) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/112 "2025-03-27T15:19:32Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I’m sure that’s “the” reason and not all the other stuff… Didn’t Hillary personally kill Vince Foster and bury his body in the White House Rose Garden? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/113 "2025-03-27T15:23:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > > > Obama having to give up his blackberry is my cite. > > As I remember, what they replaced his Blackberry with was a secure device made by Lockheed-Martin. Googling, Obama’s Blackberry replacement was a “[specially modified Motorola A840 model.](https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/News-Highlights/Article/Article/3537928/president-obamas-nsa-modified-cell-phones-on-display-at-the-national-cryptologi/)” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/114 "2025-03-27T15:25:57Z")
There’s also the suggestion that Steven Witkoff may have been participating on this group chat from Russia on a personal device. My private sector employer has strict rules about taking corporate devices overseas, even to friendly nations. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/115 "2025-03-27T15:36:05Z")
He was probably attached to _free\_wifi\_very\_secure_\_\_ or something like that at the time, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/116 "2025-03-27T15:50:52Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My private sector employer has strict rules about taking corporate devices overseas, even to friendly nations. Mine too. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/117 "2025-03-27T16:08:02Z")
I love double standards. Being double, they’re twice as good as proper standards. Double standards FTW! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/118 "2025-03-27T16:40:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Didn’t Hillary personally kill Vince Foster and bury his body in the White House Rose Garden? Nah, couldn’t be. They would have found the body when Melania tore up the Rose Garden. ---
**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, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/119 "2025-03-27T17:49:24Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > 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? So, it looks like both Ted Stryker and Pete Hegseth divulge war plans and have a [drinking problem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl4plPGRG8o). ---
**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, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157/120 "2025-03-27T17:51:53Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Didn’t Hillary personally kill Vince Foster and bury his body in the White House Rose Garden? Didn’t trump personally saw 3/4 of the way through the tail rotor drive shaft of the A.C. helicopter carrying his Board of Directors that was about to fire him for corporate embezzlement…? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-specific-clusterfuck-of-discussing-war-plans-over-signal-a-consumer-cellphone-app/1016157.md?page=7)