DEAR EDITOR:

In the early ’70s, I was aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer when it passed through the Bab el Mandeb Strait into the Red Sea at general quarters. We sailed at GQ because Iranian revolutionaries had taken to assaulting ships passing through the narrow strait using speed boats, mortars, RPGs and machine guns.

It was no place to have a target on your back, let alone one put there by a former Fox News host accompanied by information on your weapons, heading and intentions. But since Hegseth is “a great guy I’ve known for some time,” a high endorsement from 47, he was able to have a cozy, unsecured chat, with such details, as the so-called Secretary of Defense. Most of his incompetent Cabinet colleagues and anyone else in the world accustomed to monitoring Signal, i.e., our global enemies, were welcomed to the call two hours in advance of our air assault on Houthi terrorists. It was Pete’s best ever chance to show off his tough-guy authority over one of the largest government departments responsible for protecting us from foreign enemies despite his only qualification being blind obedience to Trump.

Incredibly, clueless Pete included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic — a highly respected news magazine — without realizing he had. The other nimrods on the call also missed despite having “Intelligence” or “Security” in most of their titles. In fact, the only reason citizens learned of this debacle is that Goldberg reported it. Goldberg, whose patriotic concern for security exceeds that of the Cabinet, removed himself from the call once he realized it was not the disinformation attempt he initially believed it to be and even redacted information he felt was sensitive from his report.

Of course, 47 first denied any knowledge of the meeting then assailed the competence of the Atlantic. This is the usual go-to move for our lying, felonious head of state when caught with his slip showing.

Oh well, at least no one, as far as we yet know, left any top secrets in a Mara Lago bathroom. 47 may next try to sue the Atlantic or any news organization reporting this serious breach of security. I think voters should demand Hegseth be fired, then vote to dump Trump.

JIM CARTWRIGHT

Canfield