I'm a former intelligence official. The Signal fiasco was as risky as leaving the nuclear codes in a Starbucks.

National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among those in the Signal chat.

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• Timothy H. Edgar worked in the intelligence community during the Bush and Obama administrations.
• He said the top national security officials involved in Signal debacle were remarkably reckless.
• Edgar said there was no doubt the conversation they had over the app was classified.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Timothy H.