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Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took aim at the Trump administration on Friday, blasting its handling of a recent breach involving the Signal app, which was used by top administration officials to discuss sensitive military plans.
Clinton, in a scathing opinion piece published in The New York Times, described the use of the encrypted messaging platform for such discussions as “dangerous” and “just dumb,” adding her voice to the growing criticism of the administration's mishandling of national security matters.
The leak involves a Signal group chat that included key figures from the Trump administration, such as Vice President Mike Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In the group chat, the officials discussed plans for an airstrike against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen just hours before the operation was carried out.
The inclusion of The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in the chat was an inadvertent mistake, one that has raised concerns about the security of sensitive military information and the potential for leaks.
In her op-ed, Clinton criticized the administration for what she called “self-inflicted wounds,” arguing that the Trump administration’s careless approach to sensitive information was undermining U.S. national security. She warned that this latest leak was part of a pattern of mistakes that are damaging America’s strength and credibility on the global stage.
“In a dangerous and complex world, it’s not enough to be strong. You must also be smart,” Clinton wrote, highlighting the importance of discretion and competence in matters of national security.
“This is the latest in a string of self-inflicted wounds by the new administration that are squandering America’s strength and threatening our national security,” Clinton continued. She further warned that if such behavior continued, the group chat breach would eventually pale in comparison to more serious consequences, saying, “If this continues, a group chat foul will be the least of our concerns, and all the fist and flag emojis in the world won’t save us.”
Clinton’s words underscore her belief that the mishandling of sensitive information is a critical issue that could have dire consequences if left unchecked.
Clinton's comments were made after news broke that Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, had been mistakenly included in a Signal group chat with top Trump administration officials. According to Goldberg, he initially suspected the conversation was a hoax but soon realized it was legitimate after the airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen were carried out.
The White House later confirmed the authenticity of the Signal chain, and President Trump and his administration officials conceded that the inclusion of Goldberg was a “mistake.”
The Signal app leak has stirred up significant controversy, both for its breach of protocol and for the fact that a journalist, Goldberg, was included in a discussion that involved highly sensitive military planning. Goldberg, who was invited to the chat, revealed the full conversation to the public on Monday, raising alarms about the security risks posed by the exposure of military operations to the press.
In response to the breach, Trump administration officials largely downplayed the severity of the incident, insisting that the airstrike itself had been a success. Trump, speaking publicly about the incident, expressed confidence in the operation and dismissed concerns about the leak, referring to it as an isolated mistake.
However, bipartisan lawmakers have expressed their concern over the breach, calling for further investigation into how sensitive military planning could have been exposed to a journalist. They have also demanded to know how a reporter was included in a conversation that was supposed to be private and secure.
Clinton, who has long been a critic of the Trump administration, seized on the incident to underline her point about the lack of seriousness in the way national security issues are handled. She criticized the administration for its lack of foresight and professionalism, writing, “It’s not the hypocrisy that bothers me; it’s the stupidity.”
The line references the Trump administration’s apparent disregard for the risks associated with the misuse of communication platforms for highly sensitive discussions.
Clinton’s remarks also bring into focus her own past controversies surrounding the handling of sensitive information, particularly during her time as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Clinton faced intense scrutiny in 2015 when it was revealed that she had used a private email server to handle official government business.
Some of the emails sent and received on that server were later found to contain classified information, sparking widespread criticism and a major political scandal that became a key issue during the 2016 presidential race.
The controversy surrounding Clinton’s email server was a central part of the 2016 presidential campaign, with then-candidate Donald Trump often invoking the issue during rallies with his infamous chant, “Lock her up!” The emails scandal led to a protracted investigation by the FBI, though Clinton was ultimately not charged with any criminal wrongdoing.
However, the incident became a political lightning rod and is frequently cited by Trump’s supporters as evidence of Clinton’s alleged dishonesty and recklessness.
Now, Clinton is using her own experience to draw attention to what she sees as a double standard when it comes to the handling of classified information. The Trump administration’s handling of the Signal leak, Clinton suggests, is far more careless than the actions that led to her email scandal.
“It’s not the hypocrisy that bothers me,” Clinton wrote, continuing, “it’s the stupidity.” In this, she draws a direct comparison between her own past handling of classified information and the current administration’s mismanagement of sensitive national security matters.
The contrast between the Trump administration’s response to the Signal leak and its reaction to Clinton’s email scandal has not gone unnoticed. Many members of the Trump administration who have downplayed the breach in the Signal group chat were quick to criticize Clinton over her email server.
The apparent hypocrisy in their positions has drawn criticism from Democrats, who argue that the Trump administration is holding Clinton to a different standard than it applies to its own actions.
While Clinton’s email scandal was scrutinized for months and used as a key talking point in the 2016 campaign, the Signal breach involving high-ranking Trump officials has been treated more lightly by the administration. This difference in treatment has sparked outrage among some, with critics arguing that the Trump administration is not held to the same level of accountability as Clinton was during her campaign.
While the Trump administration has tried to downplay the seriousness of the Signal breach, bipartisan lawmakers are calling for more accountability and transparency. The fact that a journalist was included in a highly sensitive military discussion is alarming to many, regardless of political affiliation.
Both Democrats and Republicans have called for an investigation into the matter, demanding to know how such a breach occurred and what steps will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Signal leak is the latest in a series of self-inflicted wounds by the Trump administration, according to Clinton, who argues that the lack of professionalism in handling sensitive national security matters is eroding America’s strength and global standing.
“This is the latest in a string of self-inflicted wounds by the new administration that are squandering America’s strength and threatening our national security,” Clinton wrote, adding that the continued mishandling of national security will have far-reaching consequences if left unchecked.
The Signal breach has highlighted the growing challenges that come with the use of digital communication tools in the age of technology. While platforms like Signal are designed to provide secure, encrypted communication, the breach reveals that even these platforms can be vulnerable to leaks and errors.
As technology continues to shape the way governments operate, the risks associated with digital communication are becoming more apparent, and it is increasingly clear that stronger protocols and oversight are needed to protect sensitive information.
The fallout from this incident will likely continue to resonate for some time, as both lawmakers and the public demand answers about how it occurred and what steps are being taken to prevent similar breaches in the future. For Clinton, the episode is a reminder that in a complex and dangerous world, strength alone is not enough—intelligence, discretion, and responsibility are essential to safeguarding national security.
