Opinion | 8 pieces of free consultancy for the National Security Team of Trump

This can be presumptuous, but it seems to me that the national security team of the new administration can use some advice. I worked with senior leaders through many administrations of both sides. I first saw how highly capable and qualified professionals have led themselves into these positions. So, vice president JD Vance; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Defense secretary Pete Hegseth; Tulsi Gabbard, director of the national intelligence office; and Michael Waltz, the national security councilor: In the wake of SignalgateHere are some tips.

1. Trust your people.

The military and civil professionals assigned to you are very competent and have a profound knowledge of organizations and national security. They want to help you success. My staff would have prevented me from violating the rules that you seem to ignore or browse. If your staff knew you were sharing the details of the outstanding military operations on Signal, an app available on the market and did not stop you, this is a big problem. I suppose they have not been involved. Mr. Waltz, high officials do not build their chat groups. This should be done by the support staff, if not entirely. I worked with many of our high military leaders. Many had a vast combat experience, even in missions not dissimilar from those of March 15 who target the Houthi. If they had known that the signal was used or the nature of shared communications there, I can’t imagine that they would not intervene. This is what happens When I ignore the competence.

2. Maintain the dignity and professionalism of your office.

All of you are under constant control. You are judged by the American people, by those who report you and the world in general. Everything you do can be reported by the media and recorded for posterity. It is not about you: it is the office you cover. Make a disservice for yourself and for the nation when you lead you without professional. Emoji are not professional. The use of the signal for sensitive issues is not professional. Use Childhood insults Featuring a journalist is not professional. Air attacks that kill people are serious business and should be treated as such. The authority to deploy the armed forces of the United States is a fantastic and humiliating responsibility. Demonstrated by your conduct and how you communicate that this fact is fully appreciated.

3. Trust and use systems.

All members of the national security team have large, sophisticated and safe communication systems standing to support them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, wherever they are. In the case of the Secretary of Defense, there is both the National Military Command Center and the organization in the Pentagon known as “cables”, in which professionals are about to create individual or group calls globally. These systems can support any contingency until they include a nuclear conflict. There are no good reasons to ignore them.

4. Obviously obvious errors.

Denying that you did something wrong, don’t fly. You can deceive part of the audience or your supporters in thinking of not having done anything wrong, or that this was not a big problem, but I can assure you that the people who guide everyone know better. Everyone in uniform, every member of the intelligence community and all in our diplomatic services – the people who guide – know that what you did was seriously wrong. They also know that if any of them had committed a similar crime it would have been fired or seriously disciplined. When Aqui Jack Teixeira revealed highly ranked information sensitive to his friends online, he was trying to impress them. It was not a spy, just stupid and immature. He is facing years of prison for civil crimes plus a martial military court.

A phrase that I heard from time to time in the Air Force was: “We are not a aeronautics”. This meant that we can make mistakes and then, instead of being fired, having the opportunity to learn and go on. My answer was: “It depends on the error”. In this case, for pure luck (and the discretion of the journalist), there was no evident direct consequence for the US troops from your safety violation. It was perhaps an error as a beginner made only two months in your various works, without experience at these senior levels. This would make it more understandable. But if you want any chance to drive effectively, you must have that you have ruined in a real way and do not repeat the error.

5. Do not exclude senior military personnel.

All the meetings of the National Security Council in which I participated or of which I met at this level also included relevant military leaders, such as the president of the joint leaders or the vice -president and the relevant fighters. I know that General Charles Q. Brown Jr., who was fired as President by President Trump, would have ensured that this conversation had been made through approved channels and at the right level of security. And I am sure that the Amm. Christopher Graty, the president of acting, would have done the same. Why have they been excluded?

6. Understand that you are always a target for the spies.

The group of people in this signal chat is probably, with the exception of the president, the most targeted group of people for espionage on the planet. Our opponents will use all available means to spy on, included and above all trying to penetrate any devices or commercial applications you could use. Never forget it for a second.

7. Do not embarrass the president or the country again.

If there is a fatal sin for the appointed politicians, it is embarrassed the president. In any case, which I remember, the appointed politicians who break this rule have not remained in office for a long time. The current president could be less sensitive about those with whom I served, but I expect some of you to be close enough to his limit. I suggest you adopt a more cautious approach.

8. Look in the mirror.

Everyone keeps positions of vast and extraordinary responsibility. Are your experiences and skills live up to the work they do? Otherwise, you have a duty towards the American people and for the president to recognize it and take a step aside. You could give that option a serious thought.