Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth shared sensitive Yemen war plans in second Signal chat: source

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 10:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of a March onslaught connected Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis successful a connection radical that included his wife, member and idiosyncratic lawyer, a root acquainted with the substance told Reuters connected Sunday.

The revelations of a 2nd Signal chat rise much questions astir Hegseth's usage of an unclassified messaging strategy to stock highly delicate information details and travel astatine a peculiarly delicate infinitesimal for him, with elder officials ousted from the Pentagon past week arsenic portion of an interior leak investigation.

In the 2nd chat, Hegseth shared details of the onslaught akin to those revealed past period by The Atlantic mag aft its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was included successful a abstracted chat connected the Signal app by mistake, successful an embarrassing incidental involving each of U.S. President Donald Trump's astir elder nationalist information officials.

The idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter, who was speaking connected information of anonymity, said the 2nd chat included astir a twelve radical and was created during his confirmation process to sermon administrative issues alternatively than elaborate subject planning.

The chat included details astir the docket of the airstrikes, the idiosyncratic said.

Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, a erstwhile Fox News producer, has attended delicate meetings with overseas subject counterparts, according to images publically posted by the Pentagon.

WATCH | White House denies classified accusation was released aft The Atlantic publishes chat:

During a gathering Hegseth had with his British counterpart astatine the Pentagon successful March, his woman could beryllium seen sitting down him.

Hegseth's member is simply a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Pentagon.

The Trump medication has aggressively pursued leaks, an effort that has been enthusiastically embraced by Hegseth astatine the Pentagon.

The Pentagon did not instantly reply to a petition for comment. The White House did not instantly reply to a message.

Tumultuous infinitesimal for Hegseth

Democratic lawmakers said Hegseth could nary longer enactment successful his job.

"We support learning however Pete Hegseth enactment lives astatine risk," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said successful a station to X. "But Trump is inactive excessively anemic to occurrence him. Pete Hegseth indispensable beryllium fired."

Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq warfare seasoned who suffered sedate injuries successful combat successful 2004, said Hegseth "must resign successful disgrace."

A U.S. authoritative astatine the Pentagon questioned however Hegseth could support his occupation aft the latest news.

The latest revelation comes days aft Dan Caldwell, 1 of Hegseth's starring advisers, was escorted from the Pentagon aft being identified during an probe into leaks astatine the Department of Defence.

Although Caldwell is not arsenic well-known arsenic different elder Pentagon officials, helium has played a captious relation for Hegseth and was named arsenic the Pentagon's constituent idiosyncratic successful the archetypal Signal chat.

"We are incredibly disappointed by the mode successful which our work astatine the Department of Defence ended," Caldwell posted connected X connected Saturday. "Unnamed Pentagon officials person slandered our quality with baseless attacks connected our mode retired the door."

Following Caldwell's departure, less-senior officials Darin Selnick, who precocious became Hegseth's lawman main of staff, and Colin Carroll, who was main of unit to Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg, were enactment connected administrative permission and fired connected Friday.