Pete Hegseth Texted Me His War Plans

National Security Breaches are serious matters, but they rarely come so close to home. Last night, while studying for a calculus exam, I received a text message from an unknown number. Most people have gotten text messages from unknown numbers, so of course, this didn’t set off any alarm bells when I read the message and saw who signed off at the end of the message, that changed quickly. The Sender? Pete Hegseth, current U.S. Secretary of Defense. The content? A group chat discussing overseas military operations.

Initially, of course, I assumed that this was a hoax. We’ve all seen the news that a group chat of high-ranking government officials was illegally used and then accidentally leaked. As I scrolled up the chat and was able to put names to numbers, it became clear that this was no hoax – it happened again. The new chat was named “Houthi PC Small Group Fixed”, an apparent sequel to the leaked chat in the days prior. My phone number got added along with the members of the original group. Much like its predecessor, the conversation included messages about troop movements, strategic details, weapons packages, timing, as well as many other things that would be considered classified by most. They were even having discussions about whether or not to notify Congress beforehand.

A wave of panic washed over me as I wondered if I was hacked or if my phone was compromised. I sent a basic “wrong person” message and quickly received: “Oh shoot. Sorry. Who is this?”What followed was deeply unsettling. Despite my response, the conversation in the chat continued uninterrupted. High-ranking officials casually discussed classified information, including specific locations, timing, and tactical maneuvers, including those in the government who didn’t need to be privy to such information. What was even more alarming was that the platform being used allowed messages to disappear, raising serious concerns about oversight and accountability.

As someone who has studied government procedures, I knew that classified information should never be handled this way. I documented everything I could, not out of curiosity but out of a genuine sense of responsibility. If I, a high school student in Eldridge, Iowa, could accidentally gain access to these war plans, who else might have?

Despite attempts to reach out for an official response, the Department of Defense has remained silent. The fact that sensitive military plans were being shared in such a reckless manner raises major concerns about the safeguards in place to protect national security. If high-ranking officials are using unsecured communication channels, what other vulnerabilities exist?

This situation demands accountability. If a student at North Scott High School can be mistakenly included in a high-level military discussion, it speaks to a much larger issue within our government’s security practices. Whether this was an isolated incident or part of a broader pattern, it cannot be ignored.

For full transparency, I must clarify that this is an April Fools’ satire piece. However, given recent events, the reality of such a scenario may not be as far-fetched as it seems.