The scandal concerning Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth leaking sensitive military plans over an unsecured app has escalated with a revelation that the top Trump military official shared information with family members on a second chat. The new details add layers to the potential security breach amid calls for Hegseth to step aside and for members of the administration to be held accountable for their repeated lapses.
Hegseth shared strike details with his family in a second group chat
The New York Times first reported that Hegseth shared sensitive information about a March U.S. air strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen in a second group chat on the messaging app Signal. The paper, citing multiple sources familiar with the discussion, reported that Hegseth shared information such as the timing of the airstrikes, details that could have potentially put military pilots in harm’s way had this information reached enemy hands. This second Signal chat included about a dozen people, including Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer who had accompanied her husband on high-level meetings despite having no official position in the administration. The chat also included Hegseth’s brother, Phil, and attorney, Tim Parlatore, both of whom work at the Pentagon but were not involved in the Yemen operation.
Questions about Hegseth’s judgment and experience
The revelation comes weeks after The Atlantic broke the story that Hegseth and other top Trump officials, including Vice President JD Vance, had shared details about the operation on a separate Signal chat. Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg learned of the chat when a Trump official accidentally added him. In both chats, it was Hegseth who shared the most sensitive information. His handling of previously classified information in such a reckless manner reinforced conversations that Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host, lacked the temperament and qualifications to handle the top Pentagon job.
Trump administration downplays national security concerns
Despite this new report about Hegseth’s handling of military information, the Trump administration has so far indicated its continued support for the defense secretary. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the new report as “another old story” being reported by “the Trump-hating media.” He also claimed, without evidence, that the sources for this story were “disgruntled former employees.” It appears to be a reference to several high-level aides to Hegseth who were recently fired amid a White House probe into information leaks, according to Fox News.
Despite the administration’s attempts to dismiss the concerns against Hegseth, his critics are calling on him to answer for his missteps or step aside, The Guardian reported. This latest scandal is only adding to the concerns about the leadership of Hegseth and other Trump officials.
