April 02, 2025

Don't Plan a War in the Group Chat: National Security Lawyer Mark Zaid on Signalgate, Classified Information, and the Limits of Executive Power

49 minutes

This week on the podcast, A’ndre is joined by renowned national security attorney Mark Zaid to unpack the rapidly unfolding scandal now known as Signalgate — a controversy sparked when a The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat among senior Trump officials. The chat revealed detailed U.S. military strike plans against Houthi targets in Yemen just hours before the operation, raising alarm bells across Washington about operational security, the handling of sensitive information, and basic judgment at the highest levels of government.

In this conversation, A'ndre asks:

What laws were likely broken — and do they apply to former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and others in the chat?
Is the Trump administration’s defense that the info was “unclassified” legally sound — or dangerously misleading?
Could a journalist face legal exposure for publishing the leaked Signal thread?
What would’ve happened to a junior officer who made the same mistake?
Are we in uncharted territory, legally and institutionally, as executive power is increasingly stretched?

Plus, A'ndre and Mark dig into the broader crackdown on law firms and legal professionals seen as critical of the Trump administration, and what it means for checks and balances in the years ahead.

Mark brings his decades of experience — representing whistleblowers, intelligence officers, and journalists — to help us break down the legal implications, national security risks, and systemic dangers of a White House seemingly operating outside the lines.

...more

View all episodes

By Burn Bag Media

4.9

4545 ratings

April 02, 2025

Don't Plan a War in the Group Chat: National Security Lawyer Mark Zaid on Signalgate, Classified Information, and the Limits of Executive Power

49 minutes

In this conversation, A'ndre asks:

What laws were likely broken — and do they apply to former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and others in the chat?
Is the Trump administration’s defense that the info was “unclassified” legally sound — or dangerously misleading?
Could a journalist face legal exposure for publishing the leaked Signal thread?
What would’ve happened to a junior officer who made the same mistake?
Are we in uncharted territory, legally and institutionally, as executive power is increasingly stretched?

...more