Disclosure of 400 Citizens' SSNs...
Unexplained Firings and Reversals
Several mistakes made by the Donald Trump administration, which took office two months ago, are causing controversy.
On the 25th, Yonhap News cited the Washington Post (WP) reporting that the Trump administration is exposing flaws to an extent that makes it hard to believe it has four years of governing experience since 2017.
Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense (right), stands next to U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House Oval Office in Washington on the 21st (local time). Photo by Reuters, Washington Yonhap News
A representative case is the accidental exposure of discussions about airstrike operations against the pro-Iran Yemeni Houthi rebels to the media. Senior U.S. government officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, mistakenly invited a journalist to a private messenger chat room where they were discussing military attack plans against the Yemeni Houthi rebels, and the discussion was published as is. This incident sparked criticism of the Trump administration’s lax security awareness within its foreign and security policy team.
Another mistake occurred when documents related to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy were released following President Trump’s order. While releasing 63,000 pages of documents, the social security numbers (SSNs) of about 400 federal congressional staff and officials were exposed.
Among these numbers were the SSNs, birthplaces, and birthdates of more than 100 staff members of the Senate Church Committee, established in 1975 to investigate abuses by U.S. intelligence agencies and the government. There were also SSNs of over 100 staff members of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, which investigated the Kennedy assassination. Among them, a writer and former law professor had their number exposed more than 20 times.
As the controversy grew, the White House announced it would issue new SSNs to those affected by the personal information leak, but some victims have taken legal action.
There were other mistakes by the Trump administration. During the federal government restructuring process led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees nuclear weapons, were dismissed without sufficient review and later demanded reinstatement. Subsequently, the Trump administration rehired most of the NNSA employees who had been notified of layoffs. Although the administration outwardly advocated reform, criticism arose that it was effectively targeting and purging agencies that were seen as obstacles.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense deleted and then restored materials related to the Native American Navajo Code Talkers, who played a significant role in World War II, and Major League Baseball legend and war veteran Jackie Robinson. Materials related to Jackie Robinson, the first Black player to break the racial barrier in Major League Baseball and a World War II veteran, disappeared from the website but were later restored.
According to the Associated Press, the deletion of materials about the bomber "Enola Gay," which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945, also appears to be an absurd mistake. The word "gay," which was used more often to mean "joyful" rather than "homosexual" until the 1960s, was included in the name of the aircraft, and the materials were deleted due to a DEI violation.
As these mistakes continued to surface, WP analyzed that the vacancies left by personnel from Trump’s first administration were filled by fervent supporters of President Trump, represented by MAGA (Make America Great Again).
They pointed out that while these individuals have enthusiasm to follow President Trump’s directives, most lack government experience.
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