• We’ve all sent a text to the wrong person. Embarrassing, right? But the next time that happens to you, just remind yourself: At least you’re not the Secretary of Defense, and at least you weren’t sending secret war plans to a renowned journalist. That’s literally what Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did earlier this month... And it unlocks a new level of embarrassment that, perhaps, no one but a Trump admin official can properly attain in this Earthly life. Imagine your butt dial just became a national security risk!

• The group chat in question apparently included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and others. The breach seems to have been initiated on March 13 by Mike Waltz, Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, who added The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a group text on the encrypted app Signal called “Houthi PC small group.” “PC” here seems to stand for “principles committee.” (As we know, the Trump admin would never start a chat called “politically correct” anything….) 

• Goldberg then witnessed discussions about the political ups and downs of a U.S. military strike on Houthis in Yemen to open up Red Sea shipping lanes and send a (ahem) signal of American toughness. Vance called the move “a mistake” that Americans wouldn’t understand and would primarily benefit Europe. (“I hate bailing Europe out,” Vance whined). Still, Vance ultimately signed off on the attack — which then proceeded exactly as the group chat indicated it would. Seriously, this story has to be read to be believed — check it out here for all the absurd details

• It’s important to note that Goldberg didn’t reveal the national secrets he learned on this chat — other than the fact that it took place at all. The only reason this face-plant didn’t spew classified operational details, weapons information and the names of intelligence officers all over the place is that a reporter is more careful than Trump officials with national security secrets.

• National security experts and Democrats were stunned. After all, Signal is an open-source, encrypted messaging app run by a private, non-profit foundation. It is absolutely NOT certified as a home for transmitting classified information. The U.S. government has its own secure systems for that. They weren’t used here. The potential for adversaries to monitor phones and steal the information is real. 

• “It’s a giant security violation that should make people lose their jobs or resign,” one former intelligence community lawyer told What a Day. Of course, this is the Trump White House, where accountability is a punch-line. So don’t count on that. 

• “Only one word for this: FUBAR,” tweeted Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), an army veteran on the House Armed Services Committee, using the military acronym for (ahem) “Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition.” He continued: “If House Republicans won’t hold a hearing on how this happened IMMEDIATELY, I’ll do it my damn self.”  

• We know what you’re thinking: ...but her emails? Right? Right??? Yes, Trump, Rubio and others forcefully argued that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be “locked up” for sending official correspondence over a private server. Yes, Hegseth himself once argued email-gate would “likely” result in “criminal charges.” Clinton didn’t miss the irony, posting: “You have got to be kidding me.” 

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