- National Security Advisor Mike Waltz exposed sensitive connections by keeping his Venmo friends list public, revealing ties to lobbyists, journalists, and top government officials.
- Waltz mistakenly added a journalist to a secret Signal chat discussing bombing plans in Yemen, raising further concerns about operational security in the Trump administration.
- Foreign intelligence threats grow as personal data, contact info, and passwords linked to top officials reportedly circulate online, compounding national security vulnerabilities.
Mike Waltz, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, is under scrutiny after a Wired investigation revealed that his Venmo friends list was publicly accessible until recently. The list, visible until Wednesday, included 328 contacts spanning lobbyists, journalists, military personnel, and key government officials. Such exposure could be exploited to map out sensitive connections within the U.S. government — a potential goldmine for foreign intelligence agencies.
This revelation follows another troubling incident involving Waltz earlier in the week. He mistakenly added Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat where members discussed potential bombing targets in Yemen. While the Trump administration maintains that no classified material was shared, the leaked messages appeared highly sensitive. The group, known as the “Houthi PC small group,” included senior officials, further raising alarms about lax operational security.
Waltz’s digital missteps appear to form a pattern. His Venmo list, much like the Signal chat leak, reveals potentially compromising details. Although no financial transactions were public, the list included powerful names such as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and national security staffer Walker Barrett. Wiles, also a member of the Yemen Signal chat, reportedly had her own Venmo friends list public until Wired contacted the White House.
More concerningly, the Venmo list featured not just policymakers but also journalists from major networks like Fox News and CNN. These connections, combined with private individuals who are not public figures, could allow adversaries to infer behavioral data or exploit lesser-known vulnerabilities. The exposure echoes a similar case from mid-2024, when Vice President JD Vance’s Venmo network — which included figures involved in the controversial Project 2025 — was made public.
The national security breaches may not end here. German outlet Der Spiegel reported this week that personal contact information and login credentials for Waltz and other top officials were also available online. While it’s unclear how many of these credentials remain active, their existence presents a serious risk. As the Trump administration continues to isolate the U.S. from traditional allies and tighten domestic control, experts warn that unqualified personnel in sensitive positions — combined with digital negligence — could further endanger national stability.
