"anna, Lindsey Halligan Here." My Signal Exchange with the Interim U.s. Attorney
Key topics
The article discusses a Signal exchange between Anna Bower and Lindsey Halligan, an interim U.S. attorney, which has sparked controversy over the Trump administration's behavior and its implications for the press and rule of law. The discussion revolves around the perceived unprofessionalism and authoritarian tendencies of the administration.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Very active discussionFirst comment
53m
Peak period
41
0-3h
Avg / period
9
Based on 72 loaded comments
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Oct 21, 2025 at 5:38 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Oct 21, 2025 at 6:31 PM EDT
53m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
41 comments in 0-3h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Oct 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
Want the full context?
Jump to the original sources
Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
I don't get it. The Trumpsters play it like it's already a dictatorship. You can't threaten the press like this so soon. That only works when you have a firm grip on power and a credible history of jailing and exiling journalists.
It's like she watched Hegseth drunk texting in Signalgate and thought, "which journalist could I add on Signal".
I feel like a lot of them genuinely think that we’re past the point of no return and they will experience no repercussions. I’d have expected Halligan to have a different view given her legal training, but…
There's also the fact that MAGA is putting their thumb more and more on the election scales. I'm already not sure I think the next election will be fair considering how much MAGA has cheated already.
This is frustratingly self-reinforcing. Why is "no one... standing up to his abuse"? Because "no one is standing up to his abuse".
What a bunch of losers. And who would support them? Who is going to advocate for people who won't advocate for themselves?
Have you ever heard a leader talk like that? Is that what they remember Churchill saying, standing alone against the Germans? MLK facing the overwhelming racist power structure, law enforcement, etc.? Washington at Valley Forge - 'to my soldiers, I feel really hopeless. The Brits are the most powerful military in the world and we're just a ragtag, irregular local force. There's nothing we can do. I'm going to resign, cross the Delaware, and return to my farm to wait out the war with my family.'
You’re right to call out Democrats too. It baffles me. Like Trump destroying the East wing of the White House. Universally not popular (not necessarily unpopular with all but no one is cheering it). Where are the press conferences being held outside to highlight it and show the people how little regard Trump has for the “People’s House”. It’s an easy lay up.
Its also largely irrelevant. Maybe the left is starting to focus on stuff that matters instead of just trying to create outrage?
It’s possible to overthink politics sometimes. No one is saying “ugh, why are people pointing out that Trump is destroying the White House?”. It’s obvious why.
The people obsessed with Trump do not watch any Democratic press conferences or media. They will not see it, and everyone watching already disagrees with what is happening. They would just be preaching to the choir.
> No one is saying “ugh, why are people pointing out that Trump is destroying the White House?”
Trump has constantly played the victim, claiming no matter what he does, the media will portray it in a negative light. And all of his cabinet echoes this. And his base seems to accept it as fact. The amount of times he's called them "nasty" and asked why they "can't focus on the good stuff" is at least 100+ this term.
Because sadly it is true. I'm not a fan of everything he does but the media definitely does portray everything he does as bad. Never have I seen them say "huh this might actually work, too bad he doesn't do more of this" he's always painted as pure evil. So yeah, the media portrayal is fact and that's why is cabinet and base accept it as such.
The rule of law, democracy, freedom, justice - these things don't matter? They not only matter, they are the foundations of the U.S. and have inspired people for centuries, all over the world. Only the Democratic Party could fail to sell them to the public - they couldn't give candy to a baby.
2020: 46.8%
2024: 49.8%
If the group in charge has made their dictatorial ambitions clear, the only rational approach for the opposition to take is to treat that seriously. Do we just pretend like they're kidding?
Because I expect the 2026 or 2028 elections to be held more with Russian, Turkish, or Hungarian standards rather than 80's Hollywood movie idea of America's standard. The Dems and courts are going to cry foul, and the regime will just laugh at their faces and continue to rule.
Once the army fires on peaceful protestors protesting a corrupt election? That’s the point of no return.
Ok? They’ll be pummeled by the police and natguard again. Maybe whatever sort of “revolutionary republican guard” Trump eventually creates for himself too.
I remember reading on forums a decade or two ago comments by some Americans who believed in their exceptionalism, that they would never be like Nazi soldiers who just followed orders...
For what it is worth, this weekend was roughly the 7th or 8th peaceful protest I have attended so far this year. It was the first in which I did not directly see a government employee firing something at a peaceful protester.
Below is a video from an F-14 REO, and previous Fox News contributor, Ward Carroll. He explains exactly why Holsey resigned.
TL:DW; (But do watch!) Admiral Holsey protested to Secretary of War, Hegseth, that these killings broke all rules, and he would not stay on to follow illegal orders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjtgDKmPvoU
On the other hand, isn't this a weeding mechanism? Eventually one will be promoted until one is found which is loyal only to MAGA and Trump, not the Constitution.
Because then you won’t go to jail.
See Santos.
They've successfully threated ABC News, CBS News, the Washington Post, and more into submission.
> Later in the week, I verified that the text exchange had genuinely been with Halligan—or, at least, with Halligan’s phone.
"My brother hacked my phone, I swear!"
There is something politically tactical about making extreme claims - it shifts norms, signals extremism to followers, etc. - but why shoot yourself in the foot like Halligan and many others?
I just hope the grownups come back before the kids burn the house down completely.
Actual photo of the historic East Wing of the White House today: https://i.redd.it/vchtk38rijwf1.jpeg
___
I once got scammed out of $350 for some speakers sold out of the back of a van, in traffic. I could not admit it for years. I kept pretending they were great, even in front of my audio engineer friends.
How do we bring our friends who got politically scammed, in from the cold? We all get scammed sometimes.
Perhaps this cultural trait is one of the major reasons why the US is in the situation it's in.
I consider it one my super powers. I am a big guy, and I've been told that I speak somewhat authoritatively in-person, even when I may have no business doing so. I don't mean it, but that's how I come off to people apparently.
Seeing the look in peoples' eyes when I readily admit ignorance or fault is lovely. I think I see a sign of relief. It has opened doors for me.
But being scammed... oof... that's a whole other thing that makes me feel emasculated as hell. I would prefer to never mention it anyone, thank you very much.
I am not saying this proudly, it's just my honest self-reflection. I get the feeling that I am not alone in this.
As long as the Democratic Party keeps its current shape, people will continue to distrust it.
Thanks, wish I could say the same to you my friend.
What does the Democratic party have to do with the current US government, when the other party controls all three branches of the federal government? Unless I am misreading you, this seems like a complete non-sequitur.
At least that's my interpretation
I would also like to point out that everyone else fell for anti-woke (McCarthyism spelled differently), fReE SpEaCh!, and Haitians eating your pets. So yeah, it's 100% the Dems' fault cause Genocide Joe!
The sooner we all admit that we are all easily programmed meat machines, myself included, the sooner we can move beyond the current insanity.
We all got played. Let's all admit it together. Is that really too much to ask?
All is big word and needs to be used properly, like - we are not all the same.
> the sooner we can move beyond the current insanity.
To where? Historically it's been, meet the new insanity the same as the old insanity.
> We all got played. Let's all admit it together. Is that really too much to ask?
Before, after or without an admission, those who did get played together with those who didn't, would be entitled to ask "And then what?"
I beg to differ. Far from claiming "both sides" or some similar malarkey: yet we are all humans, we all have our triggers, we are all easily fooled. This is as close to enlightenment as I will ever get.
If we cannot even admit this commonality, then we will continue to be divided and concurred by certifiable idiots.
To continue my thought, we aren't all the same because:
1. Some can admit that they've been played, some can't.
2. Some think that fooling is easy to do, others are aware of the amount of effort and money thrown into it.
3. Some understand that people are different, some don't and hope for an imaginary uniform response.
> Far from claiming "both sides" or some similar malarkey
The question is, can the evidence for that be ignored as "malarkey" without careful investigation? Is there any rational basis for such an approach?
Outwardly, the two sides are not the same, they act according to different and rather rigid programs. However, before counting the number of bugs in each and assessing their scope, we can't claim that the sides are materially different.
Neither side wants to really admit the others' point out of fear it would weaken their argument. Combine this with our crazy modern partizan hatred (ie, a fixation on how much you hate the other side, but very very little care to how your side is acting) and you have debates which don't go in a productive direction whatsoever. ie, we should admit that crime is a problem and prescribe real solutions. Baltimore is actually a great example here and their murder rates has dropped off a cliff. They improved some social programs, and also actually just started arresting people and keeping them in jail. (https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/baltimore-homicide-rate-...) This is another case where one side would want to point out the social programs while the other side would want to point out the arrests. But boy I just don't even care when the crime rate is dropping. And crucially of course, they didn't use the military to do it.
Their message for the last ten years (plus or minus some) has been that if you think that an unborn baby deserves legal protection, if you don't think that trans people belong in womens' restrooms and on womens' sports teams, if you don't think that gay marriage is a good idea, then you are an irredeemable moral leper, and their goal is a complete destruction of your culture. If you're, say, poor and white and blue-collar, they still are totally against you, even though you're the people that they have, historically, represented.
A bunch of those people voted for Trump (or didn't vote at all), knowing what Trump was. They voted for the guy who at least pretended to care about them.
And, really, why did they expect a different outcome?
That's what the Democratic Party has to do with the current US government. Them abandoning their core constituency is a critical enabling step for us to be where we are.
Does that make it all their fault? No. But wow, did they ever bungle both the 2016 and 2024 campaigns.
The opposite of your point is that I recall the GOP frequently calling anyone in favor of abortions murderers, people who are gay or transgender pedophiles and that non-whites are destroying our nation. This isn't even a recent phenomenon either, this was all stuff I heard decades ago just slightly less overt.
Mind you, I don't disagree that the Democratic Party is a complete waste, because they are. But you're arguing simultaneously that they had toxic core principles which alienated their voting base, but the reality is that they've never had any principles at all. They've had no issue for as long as I've been alive negotiating and watering down their platform into absolutely nothing for the sake of trying to cater to the people who vote for the GOP which is the actual reason why we're here today. And their plans for the future mostly involve doing the same thing: making concessions on abortion, throwing minorities under the bus etc for the sake of trying to appeal to people that will sooner vote for Bootstomper Jr provided that they make a pinky promise that they won't stomp on their head too hard.
Yes, and they attract independent voters with that. (Though a big reason is that the GOP has exceptional information dominance - they can convince a large part of the public of whatever they want to say; the Dems are effectively silenced.)
Who do the Dems represent? Milquetoast moderates who favor hiding their heads in the sand rather than address critical issues like freedom, democracy, rule of law, hate, disinformation, tech, etc ... ?
The Democrats are so afraid of conflict that they stand for nothing (quick, name what they stand for) - so afraid that the attack members of their own party, progressives, who fight for anything. So they are left with the above demographic, and with weak support from them because, it turns out, cowardice and ineffectiveness doesn't inspire people. And they get votes from people whose dislike of the GOP is enough that they'll vote for the Dems regardless.
They are also absurdly ineffective at communication. They can't even overcome the people who say Dems are child molesters and Obama was from Kenya. I read that a Dem Congressional livestream about the shutdown peaked at 1,000 (one thousand) viewers. :D
In the NY Times in recent days is a debate over what milquetoast policies will win a few extra percent of the vote - they say that moderation is the way! The Dem elite don't realize that the problem isn't policy - Trump does great with all-time bad, all-time extreme policy - the problem is them.
What would it take for the Democrats to become the party of the working class? Do you think raising the minimum wage, universal pre-k and childcare, paid family and medical leave, ACA expansion, etc. are working class policies?
Either Republicans must be the party of the working class or being "pro working class" isn't necessary to win the elections. Which one is it?
> A bunch of those people voted for Trump (or didn't vote at all), knowing what Trump was. They voted for the guy who at least pretended to care about them.
Tons of farmers, small business owners, federal workers, women who believed IVF would be free would disagree with you on the first part. And for the "pretend" part, you mean lie, right? So do you think Democrats need to start outright lying?
This is the kind of politely dismissive language that pushes the other side even further :)
When Dems lose, its Dems fault. When Dems win, its Dems fault. When repubs win, it's also Dems fault. When repubs do something bad - believe it or not, Dems fault.
Republican representatives are not stupid babies. They are grown men and women. They are intentionally fucking Americans up the ass. It's not an "oopsy!" situation.
Everyone needs to take some accountability.
Murc's Law - The widespread assumption that only Democrats have any agency or causal influence over American politics.
What a shitshow.
I do wonder how Signal deleting the texts automatically would be interpreted in a legal context.
(The Thick of It, by Armando Ianucci - also the creator of Veep with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - is a political satire TV series about bumbling government employees).
16 more comments available on Hacker News