Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is once again under fire after reportedly leaking sensitive military information about U.S. operations in Yemen through a private group chat on Signal, an encrypted messaging app not authorized for the transmission of classified material.
According to Pentagon officials cited by The New York Times and CNN, Hegseth shared operational details of a March airstrike against Iran-backed Houthi rebels with a group that included his wife, his brother, and his attorney — among others. In total, the Signal thread counted thirteen participants, several of whom are closely tied to Hegseth both personally and professionally.
The group, reportedly created by Hegseth himself during his confirmation process as defense secretary, was meant to coordinate strategy and communications during what insiders described as a tense transition period. Among the messages shared were the flight schedules of F/A-18 Hornets involved in the Yemen strike — details considered highly sensitive under Defense Department protocols.
The revelation adds to the mounting scrutiny surrounding Hegseth, who was already the subject of an internal inquiry following a similar incident last month. That episode involved another Signal group — this time initiated by Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz — where Hegseth inadvertently included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a thread containing restricted military information.
Despite the growing controversy, the Pentagon has pushed back. Spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the reporting as a media-driven attack on the Trump administration. “There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways they try to write the story,” he said on X. “The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda.”
The White House echoed that defense. “The President absolutely has confidence in Secretary Hegseth. I spoke to him about it this morning, and he stands behind him,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt in an interview with Fox News. “What we’re seeing is the Pentagon bureaucracy fighting back against real reform.”
But lawmakers on Capitol Hill aren’t convinced. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the alleged leak “deeply serious,” accusing Hegseth of endangering lives. “More details keep coming to light. Hegseth has compromised national security. Trump is too weak to fire him. He must go,” Schumer wrote on X.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran, was even more blunt: “Every day Pete Hegseth remains in charge is another day our troops are at risk due to his staggering incompetence.”
Multiple defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said several senior staffers at the Pentagon have recently been dismissed or reassigned — moves believed to be linked to the ongoing investigation into improper use of Signal for internal communications.
