# War Plans Signal Screwup- The Atlantic is publishing the full messages **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 26, 2025, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136 "2025-03-26T12:54:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/201 "2025-03-29T23:34:19Z")
Of course all the enemy intel services were listening in, so anything the news media publish is only news to us civilians, not the Houthis. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/202 "2025-03-30T00:50:55Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Why do people use Venmo? Because it’s an exceptionally easy way to pay your friends Several of my proofreading clients use it, or Zelle, to pay the monthly bills I email to them. I transfer the payments to my bank and don’t use it myself to pay anything or anyone. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/203 "2025-03-30T00:57:44Z")
This is the first photo I’ve seen of Kegsweat’s wife. Did anyone else expect her to be another tacky, MAGA bimbo? She may be made out of actual, human flesh topped by real human hair. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/204 "2025-03-30T01:04:07Z")
Moderating: > [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > This is the first photo I’ve seen of Kegsweat’s wife. Did anyone else expect her to be another tacky, MAGA bimbo? Let’s not make these misogynistic posts, please. This is Pit material, not P&E, and I’m not sure it would even pass muster in the Pit from a misogynistic point of view. We’re also straying far from the actual topic of the thread with this post. Don’t do this. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/205 "2025-03-30T01:19:11Z")
Regarding whether the Signal messages really included important secrets: [CBS News: Israeli officials furious that Signal group chat exposed intelligence, sources say](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israeli-officials-signal-texts-exposed-intelligence-sources-say/) My first thought was that maybe the Israeli leak is intended to mislead Houthi counterintelligence. But the Wall Street Journal has a similar report, so I guess it is true. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/206 "2025-03-30T01:27:09Z")
Apologies; totally not meant to insult Mrs. H, just her bonehead mate. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/207 "2025-03-30T01:51:28Z")
It’s hard to resist the temptation, I get it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/208 "2025-03-31T19:28:09Z")
deleted ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/209 "2025-03-31T19:29:29Z")
deleted ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/210 "2025-04-01T02:00:24Z")
Now the Dems can legitimately run as the party that cares about national security. That has to be worth _something_. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/211 "2025-04-01T02:22:59Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Now the Dems can legitimately run as the party that cares about national security. That has to be worth _something_. > **[Democrats Huddle To Decide How Best To Let Massive Republican Fuck-Up Slip...](https://theonion.com/democrats-huddle-to-decide-how-best-to-let-massive-republican-fuck-up-slip-through-fingers/)** > > Est. reading time: 1 minute Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/212 "2025-04-01T02:45:39Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Now the Dems can legitimately run as the party that cares about national security. That has to be worth _something_. Adorable of you to assume enough American voters still care about _issues_ ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/213 "2025-04-01T14:56:56Z")
Yeah, any country that’s stupid enough to elect trump twice doesn’t care at all. Because the mission was a “success”, the security breech is moot. These are such low quality people in this cabinet that they can never be given the benefit of the doubt. And I think Kegbreath was using his postings as a treatment for his ED. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/214 "2025-04-06T22:48:46Z")
The Guardian reports how Goldberg was added to the chat. It started back in October when Waltz saved the wrong number for a contact. > Goldberg had emailed the campaign about a story that criticized Trump for his attitude towards wounded service members. To push back against the story, the campaign enlisted the help of Waltz, their national security surrogate. > > Goldberg’s email was forwarded to then Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes, who then copied and pasted the content of the email – including the signature block with Goldberg’s phone number – into a text message that he sent to Waltz, so that he could be briefed on the forthcoming story. > > Waltz did not ultimately call Goldberg, the people said, but in an extraordinary twist, inadvertently ended up saving Goldberg’s number in his iPhone – under the contact card for Hughes. It also says this about the debate to fire Waltz: > Trump briefly considered firing Waltz over the episode, more angered by the fact that Waltz had the number of Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of the Atlantic – a magazine he despises – than the fact that the military operation discussion took place on an unclassified system such as Signal. > > But Trump decided against firing him in large part because he did not want the Atlantic and the news media more broadly to have the satisfaction of forcing the ouster of a top cabinet official weeks into his second term. > **[Exclusive: how the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg got added to the White House...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/06/signal-group-chat-leak-how-it-happened)** > > Internal investigation cleared the national security adviser Mike Waltz, but the mistake was months in the making ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/215 "2025-04-16T11:09:54Z")
So they may have found their “Signalgate” sacrificial lamb, or he may have been kicked out for some other snafu. > **[Pete Hegseth Adviser in Signal Group Chat Suddenly Put on Leave](https://newrepublic.com/post/194042/pete-hegeth-adviser-signal-chat-dan-caldwell-leave-defense)** > > Dan Caldwell, who was in that war plans group chat on Signal alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was just escorted out of the Pentagon. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/216 "2025-04-16T11:30:26Z")
I’m curious why they bothered firing anyone at all. Considering that, in a ‘normal’ timeline, they’d all, at the very least, lose their jobs over this, if they’re not all getting fired, why fire anyone? There’s no need for a scapegoat since it’s not like there was ever going to be any legal/social/political consequences anyway. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/217 "2025-04-16T11:33:19Z")
I don’t personally suspect this has anything to do with that. They said it was for leaking, which the Signal screwup wasn’t really leaking, in my opinion. To me, leaking is “psst- I’m going to tell you a secret” The Signal thing was just carelessness. Same effect, sure, but different sins. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/218 "2025-04-17T13:44:26Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > They said it was for leaking, which the Signal screwup wasn’t really leaking, in my opinion. I suspect that _they_ suspect he was talking to the press. They made a big stink when they first came in that anyone leaking to the press would be hunted down and shot fired. This looks more like the first victim of that witchhunt than anything else. I mean, they denied that the Signal leak was even a leak, it was all just perfectly normal and above-board, so why fire someone over it? They fire people for opposing their agenda, not because of stupidity or incompetence. ---
**Author:** ![IkesAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ikesacolyte/32/19012_2.png) [@IkesAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IkesAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/219 "2025-04-17T14:47:05Z")
Regardless of if it doesn’t really matter, the administration wants to continue to appear “infallible,” i.e. any of their fuck-ups aren’t their actual fault, and instead are the fault of incompetent underlings. Someone has to take the blame publicly, and it’s going to be the random Pentagon staffers. ---
**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:** [April 17, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136/220 "2025-04-17T14:52:54Z")
Of course, that just abstracts the problem up another layer. As many people over the last decade pointed out, somebody hired those incompetents. And, at that time, they were “the best” or whatever. It’s inherently contradictory and deliberately obfuscatory. But by then, the clumsy attempt at sleight of hand is sufficient for the intended audience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-plans-signal-screwup-the-atlantic-is-publishing-the-full-messages/1016136.md?page=12)