How the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg Got Added to the White House Signal Chat

Decision and Accountability

• Commenters note Trump’s choice not to fire Waltz was framed as avoiding giving the media a “win,” not as a national security judgment.
• Many argue this shows loyalty and optics outweigh security and competence, and that being “cleared” meant only “not disloyal,” not “acted responsibly.”
• Several say the investigation in fact demonstrated reckless behavior that would normally be career‑ending in serious national‑security roles.

Use of Signal vs. Secure Systems

• Strong pushback on the White House claim that “no alternative platform” exists for cross‑agency real‑time messaging.
• Multiple comments describe existing classified systems and devices (SCIFs, “high side inboxes,” DMCC‑S/TS phones with Cellcrypt, SIPR/JWICS) explicitly designed for such communication, with built‑in recordkeeping and access control.
• Many argue Signal was attractive precisely because it avoids record‑keeping and FOIA/preservation requirements, not because the government lacked options.

Contact Error and iPhone UX

• The official explanation—an iPhone “contact suggestion update” auto‑attaching the journalist’s number—is widely doubted or seen as convenient scapegoating.
• Some users confirm related features exist but require explicit user confirmation; others call the story technically implausible or unverifiable.
• Broader concern: consumer UX that nudges toward inclusion is incompatible with high‑stakes secrecy.

Who Actually Erred in the Chat

• Distinction drawn between Waltz’s mistake in adding the contact and the decision by another participant to paste highly specific operational details into a casual Signal group.
• Many stress that no one in the chat pushed back or redirected to secure channels, suggesting a normalized culture of lax opsec rather than a one‑off slip.

Records, FOIA, and Intent

• Heavy focus on the Presidential Records Act: auto‑deleting Signal chats for official business is described as premeditated destruction of public records.
• Some see this as comparable to or worse than past private‑email scandals, and call for equivalent investigative scrutiny.
• Others note that even unclassified planning details can be highly valuable to adversaries, reinforcing why secure, archived systems exist.

Media, Leaks, and Politics

• Debate over whether coverage is “sanewashing” incompetence versus reflecting owners’ political sympathies.
• Some question how detailed investigative findings leaked to the press while the administration simultaneously decries leaks as national‑security threats.
• Underlying theme: declining norms, partisan double standards, and political fear preventing internal accountability.