It’s the national security scandal no one saw coming — and the first major test of a new administration that prides itself on breaking norms.

This week, we learned that some of the highest-ranking officials in Washington had been orchestrating a bombing campaign in Yemen — via Signal, a messaging app. Their messages, which were accidentally shared with a journalist from The Atlantic, have led to backlash over the administration’s handling of state secrets and opened a rare window into how military decisions are made in the emoji era.

The New York Times reporters Jess Bidgood, Helene Cooper, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and David E. Sanger discuss what the Signal chat leak revealed about the Trump administration and the state of politics in Washington.

Jess Bidgood, a managing correspondent of the On Politics newsletter.

Helene Cooper, a political reporter for The New York Times.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering President Trump and his administration.

David E. Sanger, the White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times.