Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under mounting pressure following revelations that he shared sensitive information about U.S. airstrikes in Yemen via personal Signal chats that included family members. The disclosure, confirmed by multiple U.S. officials, has triggered bipartisan concern over his judgment and renewed scrutiny of internal chaos within the Pentagon during President Donald Trump's second term.
According to officials cited by NBC News, Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, used a secure system to brief Hegseth shortly before American fighter jets launched strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. Within minutes, Hegseth relayed some of that information-including timing of jet departures and target windows-using his personal phone in two group Signal chats. One group included Cabinet-level officials and their designees, while the second included Hegseth's wife, brother, attorney, and aides.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied any wrongdoing, stating, "No classified material was ever shared via Signal," and called the controversy "an attempt to sabotage President Trump and Secretary Hegseth." Nonetheless, internal concerns had surfaced even before the strikes, with aides warning Hegseth not to use unsecure communication channels for sensitive operations.
Hegseth has dismissed the reporting as politically motivated. "This is what the media does," he told reporters at the White House Easter Egg Roll. "It's not going to work with me, because we're changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of war fighters."
The White House has rejected reports of a search for a replacement, calling them "total FAKE NEWS." Trump defended Hegseth publicly, saying, "Pete's doing a great job; everybody's happy with him." National security adviser Mike Waltz accepted responsibility for creating a separate Signal group chat involving top officials, which mistakenly included The Atlantic's editor Jeffrey Goldberg.
Yet within Trump's own party, criticism is emerging. "I had concerns from the get-go because Pete Hegseth didn't have a lot of experience," said Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and retired Air Force general. "I like him on Fox, but does he have the experience to lead one of the largest organizations in the world? That's a concern."
The New York Times reported that Hegseth sent flight details for F/A-18 fighter jets to the "Defense | Team Huddle" Signal chat during the same period another chat, "Houthi PC small group," was active among top U.S. officials. Goldberg's inclusion in the latter was reportedly inadvertent.
The episode has exacerbated tensions inside the Pentagon, where aides accuse Hegseth of fostering disorder and retaliating against staff. Former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot, in a Politico op-ed, said the building was "in disarray under Hegseth's leadership," and warned of a pattern of smear campaigns against departing officials.
Three senior aides-Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll-were fired this month over alleged leaks. In a joint statement, they said they were "incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended," and accused anonymous Pentagon sources of slandering their character.
A March 21 memo from Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, called for a probe into "recent unauthorized disclosures" and raised the possibility of polygraph tests. Ullyot noted, "not one of the three has been given a lie-detector test."
Democrats have also escalated their demands. DNC Chair Ken Martin called Hegseth "a disgrace and completely unfit to lead the Department of Defense," while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated calls for his resignation.
As controversy mounts, betting markets have registered a sharp uptick in predictions that Hegseth may leave office within months. Meanwhile, senior Trump officials continue to close ranks. "There is no talk right now of removing or replacing him," one adviser said. "The idea something like this would force him out is not reality. The president still supports him."
