Signalgate

As a story, Signalgate is more than just a serious breach of national security. It’s colorful, it’s visual, it’s easy to understand and it raises the most dangerous charge of all for any government — one of rank incompetence.

In SCIFs, the secure rooms where Washington officials conduct their most sensitive conversations, phones aren’t even allowed in the door. The people at the center of Signalgate — the national security adviser, Michael Waltz; the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth; the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard; to name a few — all know this.

Jimmy Kimmel on Republicans’ reaction to Signalgate: ‘How many times do you have to repeat a lie before it becomes true? I guess we’re going to find out.’

All of which is to say, SignalGate raises plenty of security, privacy, and legal issues.