Van Jones, senior political commentator for CNN and ex-adviser to former President Barack Obama, warned that more Americans could be “at risk” if the Trump administration’s usage of Signal to discuss military operations is “widespread.”
Newsweek previously reached out to the Department of Defense on Tuesday for comment.
Why It Matters
The handling of private military discussions among top officials in President Donald Trump‘s Cabinet has triggered significant U.S. security concerns.
Social media erupted in the aftermath of reports of the communications held by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, among others.
Goldberg says he was included in the message thread with Trump brass in the encrypted messaging app Signal earlier this month. The journalist reported that the text exchange included U.S. military plans involving airstrikes against the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen who’ve been launching attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea amid a clash over control of shipping routes.
Hegseth rebuked Goldberg’s report on Monday, saying, “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” Waltz also took a swipe at Goldberg on Tuesday, calling him the “bottom scum of journalists.”
What To Know
While speaking on CNN Tuesday night, Jones voiced his concern about officials using the Signal app: “The one thing I would just say though is I do try to call this stuff fair. And what I would say is this is really bad. OK, like it’s really bad just because it seems like maybe a lot of people in the administration are doing this.”
Jones continued, “Because the vice president didn’t say, ‘hey dude, you’re breaking the law.’ JD Vance went to Yale Law School, he knows the law. So, nobody thought it was weird to be doing this, which means this could be widespread, which means more Americans could be at risk. That’s my concern.”
CNN senior political commentator and former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings replied that he thinks this is a “teachable moment” for the Trump officials involved.
“I would be shocked if anybody ever does it again,” Jennings added.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday: “Putting a reporter in a Signal chat where you’re planning airstrikes, that’s careless. Sharing information that puts our pilots’ lives at risk — that’s reckless.”
Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, posted to X on Monday: “Arrogant. Amateurish. Lacking in situational awareness. A huge security breach that opens operations to foreign actors and puts our military at risk. A staggering story in @TheAtlantic.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X on Tuesday: “As I said yesterday, the President continues to have confidence in his national security team, including Mike Waltz. Stories claiming otherwise are driven by anonymous sources who clearly do not speak to the President, and written by reporters who are thirsty for a ‘scoop.'”
What Happens Next
While speaking to the media on Tuesday, Trump discussed the text exchange involving U.S. military strategy, saying he wants to look into it and that he asked Waltz to follow up.