Mike Waltz, the national security adviser to Donald Trump, is known for being quite chatty. As reported by Politico, he and his team have set up at least 20 group chats on Signal to coordinate actions in different regions worldwide, including Ukraine, China, and the Middle East. This revelation comes after Waltz accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a group chat about an attack on Yemen.

According to Politico, which cited people who have been added to these group chats, the conversations involve officials and advisors sharing thoughts and sensitive information. The groups operate similarly to the Yemen group chat that was made public, with discussions focused on policy and crisis management in various regions, including Africa and Europe. The fact that Waltz’s team has created multiple group chats for different regions suggests that they are using Signal as a primary means of communication for national security discussions.

There have been hints that Waltz’s SignalGate situation was more extensive than initially thought. The Wall Street Journal reported that Waltz had created and hosted multiple sensitive national-security conversations on Signal with cabinet members, including chats about brokering a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Politico’s account adds more clarity to the scope of these conversations, with one source stating that “Waltz built the entire [National Security Council] communications process on Signal.”

Despite the Pentagon’s explicit warning against using Signal due to concerns about Russian hacking groups exploiting a “linked devices” feature, Waltz and his team appear to be heavily reliant on the platform. This revelation follows a report that his team also used Gmail, which is not end-to-end encrypted, to discuss sensitive military operations, including details about military positions and weapons systems.

The lack of operational security (OPSEC) within Waltz’s team is a concern, and their actions have done little to dispel the notion that they are reckless. Waltz’s explanation for how Goldberg got added to the group chat, claiming that he got “sucked into” the conversation due to a mislabeled contact, raises more questions than answers. It highlights the need for more secure communication channels to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Instead of reassessing their communication strategy, Waltz seems to be doubling down on using Signal for sensitive conversations. This approach is puzzling, given the potential risks and the fact that it has already led to a security breach. The use of Signal for national security discussions may be convenient, but it is not a substitute for proper security protocols and caution when handling sensitive information.