If you thought political group chats couldn’t get worse than tedious policy debates, think again. Jimmy Kimmel and his late-night peers had a field day unraveling what he called the “never-ending story” of the Trump administration’s accidentally exposed Signal group chat. Turns out, a journalist was mistakenly invited into a private Signal thread supposedly involving national security discussions — and it just spiraled from there. From Michael Waltz’s publicly available Venmo transactions (yes, $14 for tacos!) to security blunders like passwords linked to officials’ personal accounts being found by German journalists, the late night hosts are feasting on this hot mess. Kimmel quipped, “There are many books and stories to come,” while Stephen Colbert added, “Mike Waltz has made a key strategic error: being an idiot everywhere at all times.” This digital disaster is part comedy, part concerning — and 100% late night gold.

Key Points:

• Jimmy Kimmel dubbed the Signal group chat leak “the never-ending story,” comparing it to Harry Potter in scope and absurdity.
• Late-night shows ridiculed national security adviser Michael Waltz for leaving his Venmo account public — revealing both transactions and contacts. “Isn’t it a little bit disturbing that a guy overseeing our nuclear weapons is still in the ‘You owe me $14 for tacos’ phase of his life?” Kimmel joked.
• Der Spiegel, a German outlet, uncovered login data and personal contact info for key officials like Waltz, Tulsi Gabbard, and Pete Hegseth — some information reportedly still active and in use.
• Stephen Colbert mocked Waltz and others for their reckless behavior, noting, “Trump might have to start calling them Eric and Don Jr.”
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the administration had been “incredibly transparent.” Kimmel countered, saying, “That’s the problem.”
• Jimmy Fallon added that Trump himself called the leak “not a big deal,” sarcastically reassuring, “He said the same thing about COVID.”

Extra Context:

• Signal, an encrypted messaging app intended for secure communications, is frequently used by officials for sensitive discussions. The fact that access was so sloppily shared raises serious cyber security concerns.
• This continues a larger pattern of digital missteps and laughably insecure behavior from officials tied to the Trump camp.
• No recommendation or product came up in this piece — unless you count Venmo (or tacos).

One-liner to close your episode:
“In a week where our nuclear secrets are one group chat away from becoming the next Netflix docuseries, at least comedy is fully charged, even if our cybersecurity isn't.”
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