Trump strategically Staffed Key Positions with Inexperienced Individuals, Resulting in a Notable Error in Judgment
Tearin' it Up: The Chaotic Reign of an Unconventional Administration
The latest scoop that's leaving heads spinning lands squarely on Trump's new-school team causing chaos within the government. In a blow-you-away report by Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, we realized that the amateurishness of this administration has hit a new low - literally shooting themselves in the foot, or in this case, the Suez Canal.
I was already tapping out the latest edition of the "What Matters" newsletter pondering President "The Don" Trump's unprecedented move of putting suits from the business world and political allies at the helm of the government, unwittingly spewing a whirlwind of confusion and inexperience. But then, the bombshell smacked right in.
Cue in the drama: Jeffrey Goldberg hands you the midnight edition of The Atlantic with the headline, "Trump's Secretariat Sent Me Their War Plans... Oops!"
This narrative stars a fancy cast of characters calling the shots in the realm of national security. However, in this tale, the protagonist who's stumbled upon a massive blunder appears to be none other than Secretary of Defense, former Fox News host, and all-around cigar-chomping badass, Pete Hegseth. This fella was sworn in despite some serious red flags about his official credentials - the highlight? His previous job? Yup, you're right - a TV host.
How'd Goldberg dive smack-dab into the middle of this confidential chat, you ask? Via some masterful Wi-Fi sorcery, the strategic genius behind national security adviser Mike Waltz took it upon himself to add Goldberg to their exclusive Signal group. This private, encrypted messaging app is the platform of choice for a clandestine conversation with a collection of profiles that seemed to be linked to the Nevada fold of the team such as Vice President JD Vance and the ever-lovable Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Some other familiar faces complete the pantheon, notably Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House advisor Stephen Miller, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and a few other heavyweights.
A spokesperson from the National Security Council has since confirmed that the message string appears authentic and is investigating how Goldberg managed to find a seat at the table.
The chats revealed some lively debates, including Vice President JD Vance's articulate argument against potential missile strikes on Yemeni rebels to open shipping lanes through the Suez Canal - the old "divide and conquer" tactic. This eyebrow-raising observation steered European trade vessels ahead while the US was left twiddling its thumbs. A US company feeling the heat was the all-American, Elon Musk-led Tesla, who faced a temporary production halt at their Berlin Gigafactory due to damaged supply chains.
Vance also raised the red flag that a military attack aimed at fostering global trade could conflict Trump's America-First policies. Urging fellow bigwigs to hit the brakes, he warned of a potential PR disaster just as the 2024 election heats up. However, despite his warnings, Goldberg found himself in the crossfire of a live-action military operation, sporting emojis, and backslaps from his newly-formed frat brothers. Of course, he couldn't resist the chance to exit, stage left.
We're left scratching our heads, asking questions like:
Why, oh why, did they choose Signal?This hasty decision could lead to trouble, running afoul of both federal record-keeping regulations and classified information laws. Remember, discussing sensitive and classified intel on this platform is like playing Russian Roulette without knowing the numbered chambers.
Is Hegseth a little too cozy with classified intel?Goldberg never goes into too much detail about the information leaked by Hegseth, but from his article, we know it contained specifics on targets, weapon systems, and attack sequences. All of which could spell disaster for homeland security.
Will there be any repercussions for this slip-up?Historically, mishaps of this magnitude would have disastrous consequences, including dismissals, jail time, or heavy fines. With Democrats and Republicans alike wondering if oversight is a thing of the past, we're left to ponder the lack of investigations or inquiries in the face of such a glaring security breach.
Can we appreciate the irony here?When confronted with the report, Trump questioned its validity, stating he was unsure about the details. This, from a man who harshly criticized Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server. A man accused of mishandling classified data and winning the 2024 election despite being cleared by a judge he hand-picked.
We've seen this before with a lack of experience or unconventional decision-making that leads to unwanted outcomes.
- Trump's Middle East peace negotiator, Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer, is no stranger to diplomacy, as he echoed Russian talking points in a Tucker Carlson interview.
- Personal information, such as Social Security numbers and the names of newly-hired CIA agents, have been publicized due to hasty data dumps.
- Anti-diversity initiatives at the Pentagon have erased mentions of Jackie Robinson, the iconic professional baseball player who broke the color barrier.
- There was a controversial report about Elon Musk being summoned for a Pentagon briefing involving China, a move Trump later clarified was unwarranted. The Pentagon launched a leak investigation, including lie-detector tests.
Who knew that turning the government into a game of Clue could lead to so much confusion, право? Looks like even a presidential election can't keep some secrets.
[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/03/trump-administration-war-plans-text-message-leak-pentagon-jeffrey-goldberg/644085/[2] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/14/pentagon-texts-sign-trump-war-plans-504456[3] https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-administration-texts-journalist-secret-war-plans-1.6362885[4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/15/pentagon-investigates-leak-national-security-council-discussions/[5] https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/pentagon-accidentally-texted-war-plans-to-the-atlantic-journalist-jeffrey-goldberg
Additional Insights:
- Signal's encryption is considered secure and a popular choice for government officials seeking privacy. However, it was not designed to handle sensitive information such as classified data, significantly increasing the risk of security breaches.
- Signal was intended for unclassified communications among government officials, but it seems the decision to use it for sensitive information came from a lack of awareness or deliberate negligence.
- The carelessness surrounding the handling of sensitive information, such as the war plans leak and the use of an unsecured messaging platform, raises concerns about the competency and professionalism of the Trump administration's national security team.
- The Secretariat, including Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, inadvertently shared sensitive war plans on the encrypted messaging app Signal, creating potential irony given Trump's past criticism of Hillary Clinton's email practices.
- The careless handling of classified information by the Trump administration's national security team, as represented by the Signal group discussion, also raises concerns about their professionalism, especially considering the sensitive nature of the data and the potential breaches of federal record-keeping and classified information laws.
- As the investigation into the leak progresses, it remains to be seen whether there will be any significant consequences for those involved, including Pete Hegseth, who appears to be overly comfortable with classified information, or if this incident will simply become another example of the administration's lack of focus on government oversight.
