A senior National Security Council (NSC) official in the Trump administration is under scrutiny following a report by the Washington Post alleging the use of a personal Gmail account for communications involving sensitive military information. The emails reportedly included discussions about military positions and weapon systems amid an ongoing conflict, raising new concerns about protocol violations and cybersecurity.
While critics have quickly called for firings and investigations, Steven Bucci, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, urged a more measured approach in an interview with AM 560’s Chicago’s Morning Answer.
“If that reporting is accurate, it’s inappropriate and should be investigated,” Bucci said. “But this is not something to fire a cabinet official over unless classified material was mishandled.”
Bucci, a former Army Special Forces officer and Pentagon official, distinguished the use of encrypted apps like Signal—used during another controversial episode earlier this year—from the alleged Gmail use. He noted that while Signal is secure for most civilian use, it is not the standard for top-level national security conversations.
“You don’t talk about official government business over Gmail, especially in national security,” Bucci said. “But again, we need to see the content before making definitive judgments.”
A National Security Council spokesperson responded to the report by stating that NSC Advisor Michael Waltz “has never sent classified material over any unsecured platform” and that efforts have been made to ensure compliance with records retention policies.
The report comes as the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats call for the removal of Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hoekstra over their teams’ handling of communications. Bucci labeled the calls for resignation as “political theater.”
“This is about scoring political points, not improving national security,” he said. “Mistakes happen at the start of any administration. What matters is how those mistakes are addressed.”
FBI Faces New Allegations of Election Interference
The interview also touched on newly revealed communications within the FBI showing agents were directed not to discuss Hunter Biden’s laptop in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election. Internal chat logs released by journalists Catherine Herridge and Michael Shellenberger suggest that the FBI was aware the laptop was authentic but issued a gag order to prevent its contents from being disclosed or discussed.
“This is election interference, plain and simple,” Bucci said. “If senior officials directed agents to withhold truthful, relevant information for political reasons, they should be held accountable—potentially criminally.”
Bucci called for possible investigations into former Attorney General Bill Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray, as well as rank-and-file agents who followed the gag order.
“You can’t just say you were following orders,” he added. “That doesn’t absolve you from responsibility.”
Trump, Putin, and Ukraine’s Future
Bucci also weighed in on recent remarks by former President Trump, who reportedly expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to delegitimize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has suggested he could bring about a negotiated peace, but some critics question what leverage the former president could exert.
Bucci argued that Trump’s unique relationship with Putin gives him influence and said a mix of incentives and threats may be required to stop further Russian advances.
“Carrots and sticks are both necessary,” he said. “And Trump has the credibility to deliver both.”
Bucci also said that threats of regime change in Russia—while controversial—should not be dismissed outright.
“Putin is paranoid. Even the suggestion of regime change could shake him,” he said. “But we should also consider re-integrating Russia into global markets as part of a larger strategy, if it serves U.S. interests.”
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