- Published Date: March 29, 2025
Signal Isn't to Blame for the Leak—But the Trump Administration Thinks Otherwise
This past week, one news story has been impossible to miss—“Signalgate.” It’s the embarrassing situation where The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief accidentally got access to a military group chat on Signal, an encrypted messaging app.
This was a massive security blunder, but instead of taking responsibility, officials fumbled their explanations. At one point, even former President Donald Trump seemed to be the only one offering a straightforward reason: a simple contact mix-up by national security adviser Mike Waltz. Others tried to claim The Atlantic’s editor somehow snuck into the chat—an idea that became harder to believe after a German magazine reported that private contact details for Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were surprisingly easy to find online.
Of course, Trump didn’t stick to that explanation for long. By Wednesday, he shifted the blame to Signal itself, saying, "I don’t know that Signal works. I think Signal could be defective, to be honest with you." But let’s be clear:
1. Military planning should never have been happening on Signal
A 2023 Pentagon memo specifically prohibits staff from using any unclassified communication platforms for transmitting sensitive government information. The Department of Defense has its own secure system for that.
2. Signal didn’t cause this mistake
This wasn’t a flaw in the app—it was user error. But Trump’s blame game feeds a dangerous narrative, creating unnecessary fear about privacy-focused apps like Signal.
Is Signal Actually Safe?
Signal is a nonprofit, open-source app built for secure communication. Unlike commercial messaging apps, it doesn’t collect user data or store messages on its servers. It was even designed to resist government subpoenas—it can’t hand over user data because it doesn’t store any.
Some confusion arose this week when an internal Pentagon email warned about the "vulnerability of using Signal." It turns out this warning wasn’t about Signal’s technology—it was about phishing attacks targeting individual users. Still, misleading headlines fueled speculation that Signal itself was compromised.
A History of Distrust—and Political Spin
Right-wing figures have long tried to discredit Signal, especially after NPR CEO Katherine Maher, who also sits on the Signal Foundation board, was falsely accused of political bias. Even Elon Musk, who previously praised Signal, has recently promoted vague claims about its security issues. He even went as far as blocking Signal links on X (formerly Twitter).
Conclusion
Signal is not perfect—no app is. But it remains one of the most secure messaging platforms available. The real issue here isn’t the app—it’s government officials failing to follow basic security protocols. Instead of facing that reality, Trump and his allies are using Signal as a scapegoat, fueling baseless fears about encryption and privacy.
What happens next? Well, Musk has reportedly assigned his “technical experts” to investigate Signalgate. But given his current relationship with Trump, don’t expect the real truth to be the focus.
