Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared details of a military airstrike against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in a Signal message chat that included his wife and brother. The New York Times reported the revelation of a second chat surrounding the strike, which also had operational details that could have put pilots in danger if shared before the strike. Jennifer Hegseth, a former Fox News producer, Phil Hegseth, and Tim Parlatore, Hegseth’s personal lawyer were included in the chat. It is unclear why they needed to be informed of military strikes.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the reporting as an “old story” and accused The New York Times of being obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda. Parnell claimed that the sources for the article were disgruntled former Pentagon employees who were fired last week and had a motive to sabotage the Secretary and President’s agenda. He also asserted that there was no classified information shared in any Signal chat, a response that Hegseth had previously given regarding the first chat.
The White House also dismissed the report as a “non-story” and suggested that former Pentagon employees were spreading false claims. The administration vowed to hold them accountable for misrepresenting the truth and undermining the President’s agenda. Recently-fired leakers were accused of trying to soothe their shattered egos by spreading lies. The White House Deputy Press Secretary, Anna Kelly, reiterated that no classified information was shared in the chats.
Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot penned an op-ed in Politico detailing what he called “the Month from Hell” inside the agency. He criticized Hegseth’s leadership and stated that President Trump deserves better from his senior leadership. The building was described as being in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership, particularly after he followed poor crisis-communications advice from his public affairs team regarding the first Signal chat. Ullyot questioned Hegseth’s future in his role as Defense Secretary.
The first chat, set up by national security adviser Mike Waltz, included several Cabinet members and listed weapons systems and a timeline for an attack on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The contents of this chat were published by The Atlantic, sparking criticism against Hegseth and the Trump administration for discussing plans for a military strike on a messaging app. The revelation of the second chat group further intensified the criticism against Hegseth and the administration for failing to take action against top national security officials who discussed sensitive information in Signal chats.
In conclusion, the fallout from the leaked Signal chats involving military strike plans against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen has raised concerns about the sharing of sensitive operational details and the involvement of individuals without the appropriate clearances. The Trump administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have faced criticism from former Pentagon employees, the media, and others for their handling of the situation. The future of Hegseth’s leadership role within the Department of Defense remains uncertain as the controversy continues to unfold.
