I have taken a tour of the White House, and the West Wing is amazing. When I saw the Oval Office, my eyes got big, and my mouth dropped open in astonishment – a look that probably amused the Secret Service guard standing by the door. However, the main White House conference room is close to where the president works. I pictured President John F. Kennedy meeting there with his “ExComm” National Security Council during the Cuban Missile Crisis. At the same time, they pondered how to avoid the end of the world from a nuclear holocaust.
Signalgate: Some Things Need to Stay Secret
Now, it seems that in-person cabinet meetings for military purposes are a thing of the past.
Instead of meeting face-to-face, the national security team under President Donald Trump appears to prefer virtual pow-wows on encrypted messaging mobile apps.
Enter what we now call Signalgate.
The Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the National Security Advisor, plus 14 others in Trump’s leadership chain, discussed critical and classified war plans for an attack on Yemen.
The strikes aimed to reduce the combat effectiveness of the Houthi terrorists who are constantly attacking the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group with missiles and drones in the Red Sea.
Journalist Stowed Away in Chat Room
There was a problem. Someone, probably National Security Advisor Mike Waltz or one of his staffers, accidentally invited the chief editor of the Atlantic magazine to the chat on the mobile app Signal.
Jeffrey Goldberg copied all of the sensitive messages about the strike operation and shared them with the world. This was a political mess of the highest order.
So, what should we learn from “Signalgate?”
Can You Just Talk in the White House?
First, sensitive defense missions should be discussed only at the White House.
Why would anyone want to use Signal for such sensitive conversations?
After the leak, the Department of Defense warned run-of-the-mill employees not to use Signal and other encrypted discussion apps for any purpose. Adversaries could always break into the conversation, and operational security would be compromised. This is cybersecurity 101.
Use Discretion or Pay the Consequences
Second, don’t say anything outside the White House that you don’t want on the front page of the New York Times. Even the lowliest political appointees in all modern presidential administrations know this. Keep secret discussions secret.
In-person Meetings Are Better
Third, meet in person in secured facilities. This should be a no-brainer. There is no substitute for discussing important matters in person. When this takes place, you can read body language and facial expressions. You can tell when people like Vice President JD Vance are not in favor of a policy. You can call on reticent people who should add to the conversation to speak up and share what they are thinking. Discussion can go “round the table” to get the most valuable advice for the president possible. Disagreements and agreements are thus clear and unobstructed by technology.
Trump Needs to Be in Charge at the Head of the Table
Fourth, the Commander-in-Chief should be leading these discussions. It is not clear why Trump was not present in this dialogue. The president should have been the one in charge of the in-person meeting at the White House and he should have reminded everyone to not discuss such sensitive conversations on what are believed to be modern and “safe” chat groups.
Admit the Mistake, Apologize, and Promise It Won’t Happen Again
Fifth, when there is a bad mistake, admit to it.
Waltz could have quickly just said he was sorry, he made a mistake, and it will not happen again. Instead, there was a cover-up that became almost hysterical. The White House and the Trump higher-ups did the usual round of insulting the media’s credibility and denying that classified battle plans were shared.
The Journalist Played Dirty Pool
Sixth, I know this is getting tiring, but there are more aspects to this scandal. The journalist who was added should have jumped off the chat. Goldberg could have broken in at the beginning and said he was there by accident and (virtually) left the room.
Alas, this was the story of his career, so he surreptitiously stayed on, copied all of the posts, and even placed the entire discussion in the public domain.
This also hurt operational security and gave our adversaries glimpses into our military planning and capabilities. Goldberg deserves some blame for conducting such a shameful display of lack of scruples and ethics.
Signalgate Isn’t Over Just Yet
There is probably more to this story that will dribble out in the coming days, but the Trump national security team should not repeat this episode. Hold meetings at the White House in person with the president in charge and have the National Security Council members give the Commander-in-Chief military options to decide on the best plan of attack.
Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2023 Turning Point Action Conference at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
A college undergraduate political science student could determine that this is the best practice and optimal course of action.
Signalgate will only worsen until the president admits the mistake and declares that this will never happen again.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
