US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has defended his most recent use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive military operations, blaming fired Pentagon officials for orchestrating leaks against the Trump administration.
The controversy stems from recent reporting in the New York Times, after a second Signal chat was identified where Hegseth is again believed to have shared sensitive operational details about strikes against Houthis in Yemen – including launch times of fighter jets, bomb drop timings and missile launches – with a group of 13 people, including his wife, brother and personal lawyer, some of whom possessed no security clearance.
In an interview, Hegseth suggested that the problems stem from former officials, appointed by this administration, for leaking information to damage him and Donald Trump.
He added that there was an internal investigation and that evidence would eventually be handed to the justice department.
“When you dismiss people who you believe are leaking classified information… why would it surprise anybody if those very same people keep leaking to the very same reporters whatever information they think they can have to try to sabotage the agenda of the President or the Secretary.”
Pete Hegseth
Dan Caldwell, who was one of Hegseth’s top advisors, and two other senior officials; Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick were fired on Friday after being escorted out of the Pentagon.
They have denied any wrongdoing and said that they have been told nothing about any alleged crimes.
Hegseth dismissed the reports of the Signal Chat leak, characterizing criticism as politically motivated attacks.
“No one’s texting war plans. What was shared over Signal then and now, however you characterize it, was informal, unclassified coordinations for media coordination among other things.”
Pete Hegseth
Hegseth also warned of possible prosecutions of former senior advisors who were fired during a probe into leaks of Pentagon information to the media.
Hegseth Faces Growing Calls For Resignation
Meanwhile, Hegseth is facing growing calls to resign after coming under fire for using messaging system Signal to discuss plans to attack Yemen’s Houthi group.
The backlash against Hegseth’s misuse of Signal while running the government’s largest and most funded office – that could get a budget of $1tn – has only gotten more intense over the last few days.
Democratic representative, Angie Craig said that Hegseth should be fired.
“He never should’ve been hired in the first place, but his gross negligence in putting our service members at risk is more than enough to be fired for.”
Angie Craig
Debbie Wasserman Schulz also called for Hegseth’s resignation. “Pete Hegseth’s incompetence is a threat to our national security,” Schulz said, adding that he needs to “resign immediately.”
Representative Don Bacon, a Republican and former Air Force General who chairs the House armed services committee’s cyber subcommittee, became the first member of the Republican party to openly support Hegseth’s removal.
“I had concerns from the get-go because Pete Hegseth didn’t have a lot of experience…If it’s true that he had another [Signal] chat with his family, about the missions against the Houthis, it’s totally unacceptable.”
Don Bacon
The former chief Pentagon spokesperson, John Ullyot wrote in a Politico Magazine opinion piece over the weekend that “the building is in disarray” and that “it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.”
Retired US Navy Admiral, James Stavridis similarly condemned Hegseth’s actions, telling a news agency, “There is absolutely no reason on the planet Earth he should be doing that and he knows it.”
READ ALSO: Recent Auction Undersubscription Signals Market Caution, Not Panic- Analyst
