U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is once again under scrutiny for allegedly sharing classified military information. According to a source familiar with the matter, Hegseth shared sensitive details about a U.S. airstrike against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen—conducted in March—through a private Signal chat group that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
This marks the second incident involving Hegseth leaking sensitive information via unauthorized messaging apps. In a previous case, he accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a White House group chat where discussions on the Yemen operation were taking place. The information was later published in the magazine, causing significant embarrassment for the administration.
The second chat group was originally created to discuss administrative matters related to Hegseth’s appointment but reportedly included details of planned airstrikes, including timing and coordination.
This latest revelation has raised further concerns about the security protocols within the Trump administration and the Defense Secretary’s judgment. It has also sparked political backlash, with Democratic lawmakers stating that Hegseth can no longer remain in his position.
A Pentagon official questioned, “How can Hegseth continue in his role after these new revelations?”