Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire for sharing sensitive military plans about strikes against the Houthis in Yemen via a second private Signal chat that included his wife, brother, and lawyer — none of whom necessarily have security clearance.
The group chat, operated from Hegseth’s personal phone, was originally formed during his confirmation process to coordinate with close allies but continued being used after he was confirmed.
The revelation adds to growing scrutiny over Hegseth’s judgment, especially after the dismissal of several senior aides and the launch of an internal leak investigation at the Pentagon.
Former aides, including press secretary John Ullyot and top adviser Dan Caldwell, have publicly questioned Hegseth’s leadership, citing dysfunction, paranoia, and poor decision-making at the Department of Defense.
The Signal chat follows an earlier one involving Cabinet officials, which is already under investigation by the Defense Department’s acting inspector general after it was accidentally leaked.
The second chat reportedly included plans for a classified military campaign, with participants like Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, and his brother Phil, who also works at the Pentagon. It’s unclear if all members held the required security clearances.
The Pentagon has been in turmoil for weeks, marked by mass firings, internal infighting, and a string of damaging leaks involving operations in the Middle East, the Panama Canal, and a classified China briefing involving Elon Musk.
Hegseth reportedly demanded an FBI investigation into the leaks, despite aides advising against it due to an ongoing inspector general probe — raising further concerns about his decision-making.
Fired aides Caldwell, Selnick, and Carroll have denied any wrongdoing, claiming they were never polygraphed and suggesting there may not have been a legitimate investigation into leaks at all.
The controversy comes as the Pentagon navigates several high-stakes global operations, including tensions in the Middle East and troop deployments to the U.S. southern border, raising alarm that internal drama is distracting from national security.