Well, it's Groundhog's Day again and we have a parade of security screw-ups at the highest levels of our government, and nobody on the right seems to give a damn. I’ve been tracking Pete Hegseth’s reckless use of Signal for Pentagon business, his wife sitting in on classified briefings like it’s bring-your-spouse-to-work day, and now Tulsi Gabbard-yes, the current Director of National Intelligence-caught using the same weak password over and over again. (If you missed it, Wired has the details here.)
And it’s not just them. Mike Waltz, Trump’s former National Security Adviser, accidentally looped a journalist into a Signal group chat about a Yemen operation. His information is likely floating around the web as a result of a different OPSEC breach.
Meanwhile, the same crowd that lost its mind over Hillary’s emails and Hunter Biden’s laptop-neither of which led to any criminal charges or national security disasters-can’t seem to muster any outrage when their own side is playing fast and loose with classified information. Where’s the outrage machine now? Cat got your tongue, Fox News?
A Culture of Carelessness
My broken record: Hegseth was using Signal like it was his personal group chat, talking about everything from military programs to personnel moves. He even brought his wife into meetings where classified info was on the table. Any private serving in military intelligence could tell you that spouses don’t get a free pass into the SCIF.
Waltz? He creates a Signal group to coordinate a military strike, and somehow a journalist gets added by mistake. That’s not just embarrassing-it’s dangerous. And then the app they use to archive the chats gets hacked. You can’t make this stuff up.
And now, Gabbard’s password habits are exposed. She’s running the nation’s intelligence, and she can’t be bothered to use a secure password? If this was a junior enlisted soldier, they’d be out on their ass or on the way to Fort Leavenworth.
Real-World Consequences
This isn’t just bureaucratic bumbling. When leaders treat OPSEC like an afterthought, people get hurt. Leaks like these can expose operations, burn assets, and put lives on the line. Our allies see this and start wondering if they can trust us with their secrets. The message to the rank and file? Security rules are for the little people.
Hypocrisy on Full Display
Remember the endless screaming about Hillary’s emails? The Hunter Biden laptop circus? Those were headline news for years. But now, when the shoe’s on the other foot, the right-wing outrage machine is nowhere to be found. Most Republicans are either silent or making excuses. A few grumble behind closed doors, but nobody wants to cross Trump or risk their seat.
Democrats are calling for heads to roll, but let’s be honest-until there’s bipartisan will to enforce these standards, nothing’s going to change.
When Will Enough Be Enough?
Here’s the ugly truth: if a regular military or intel officer pulled this crap, they’d be court-martialed or fired on the spot. But for the political elite, it’s all shrugs and “mistakes were made.” How many more warnings do we need before someone finally gets serious about OPSEC?
If we keep letting our leaders play by their own rules, it’s only a matter of time before the next breach costs lives. Maybe then the outrage machine will wake up. But by then, it’ll be too late.
OPSEC isn’t optional, and it sure as hell isn’t partisan. If we want to keep our people safe and our country secure, it’s time to hold everyone-left, right, or center-to the same damn standard. Enough is enough.
