Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing strong criticism after reportedly sharing details of a planned military strike in Yemen using a private messaging app—Signal—instead of secure government communication systems. What has shocked many is that this chat included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer, who were not officially part of the planning.
The original controversy began when Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a chat between top U.S. officials. Now, new reports from The New York Times reveal that Hegseth created a second Signal group called “Defense | Team Huddle”, where even more private details of the strike were shared.
What Was Shared—and With Whom?
According to the New York Times, the second chat group included:
- Hegseth’s wife Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer
- His brother Phil Hegseth, who works at the Department of Defense
- His lawyer Tim Parlatore
- Senior advisers Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick, who were recently fired over alleged leaks (which they deny)
In this group, Hegseth reportedly shared flight schedules for warplanes involved in the upcoming attack on the Houthi group in Yemen, scheduled around March 15.
Aides had warned him not to use Signal or his personal phone for sensitive information. They also encouraged him to switch to his official government device, but Hegseth never made the change.
Was This a Breach of National Security?
A U.S. official told the Times that there was no breach of national security, claiming:
“Nothing classified was ever discussed on that chat.”
Still, many are raising serious concerns about the casual approach to operational security, especially since non-official individuals were included in the conversation. According to the Times, some chat members had no need to know such sensitive information in real-time.
Investigations and Political Backlash
The Defense Department’s acting inspector general, Steven Stebbins, is already investigating the original Signal chat. It’s unclear if he knew about this second chat before the latest report was published.
Meanwhile, criticism is growing. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a decorated war veteran, said on social media:
“Pete Hegseth isn’t only a liar, he is a threat to national security. He must resign in disgrace.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also reacted:
“The details keep coming out. We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. But Trump is still too weak to fire him. Pete Hegseth must be fired.”
Trump’s History With Classified Info Also Under Scrutiny
This isn’t the first time classified information has been mishandled under Donald Trump’s leadership.
In 2023, Trump was criminally charged over storing secret government papers at his Mar-a-Lago home—some even found in a bathroom. The case was later dismissed after his re-election in 2024.
Earlier, in 2019, Trump tweeted a classified satellite image of a failed Iranian rocket launch. And in 2017, he shared Israeli intelligence with Russian officials inside the Oval Office, triggering global criticism.