President Donald Trump on Monday voiced full support for U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, after reports emerged that Hegseth had shared details of a March military strike on Yemen’s Houthis in a Signal chat group that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
This latest disclosure marks the second time Hegseth has used the unclassified messaging app to relay highly sensitive security information. It comes at a turbulent time for the Pentagon, following the dismissal of several senior officials as part of an internal investigation into leaks.
“Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him,” Trump said. When asked if he still had confidence in Hegseth, Trump replied, “Oh totally.”
“Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump added, referencing the intensified U.S. bombing campaign against the Iran-backed militant group under his leadership.
Reuters reported that the second chat included details similar to those previously revealed by The Atlantic, after its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to a separate Signal group last month.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt denied a report by NPR that the Trump administration had begun seeking a replacement for Hegseth.
This second Signal group, reportedly created during Hegseth’s confirmation process, included around a dozen individuals and was intended for administrative coordination. Among them was Hegseth’s brother, who serves as a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Pentagon.
Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, has also attended sensitive meetings with foreign military officials, as shown in publicly released Pentagon images.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Hegseth had previously been warned not to use unsecure communication apps like Signal for such information, even before his earlier leak in March.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon Inspector General confirmed a formal investigation into Hegseth’s use of the unclassified app to plan the March 15 strikes against the Houthis.
REPUBLICANS LARGELY SILENT
While addressing reporters at the White House on Monday, Hegseth criticized the media and former Defense Department staff.
“I’ve spoken to the president, and we’re fully aligned going forward,” he said.
Hegseth barely won enough support to be confirmed as defense secretary, facing strong resistance from Democrats and even some Republicans.
A White House official noted that abandoning Hegseth now would give momentum to Democrats who were critical during his confirmation hearings.
At least nine Democratic senators have called for Hegseth’s resignation following the latest revelations, saying that the existence of a second chat undermines his credibility and fitness for office.
Republican lawmakers, who hold majorities in both the Senate and House, have remained mostly silent. However, Representative Don Bacon told Politico that he questioned Hegseth’s qualifications and considered the use of Signal for sensitive information “unacceptable.”
During Trump’s first term, he removed several defense secretaries due to disagreements over policy or concerns about loyalty. Hegseth, however, is widely seen as closely aligned with Trump’s priorities. He has deployed thousands of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, pressured European allies to increase defense spending, and criticized diversity initiatives in the military.
This latest incident follows the ousting of Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth’s key advisers, who was escorted out of the Pentagon after being identified in the leak probe. Caldwell had played a crucial role for Hegseth and was designated by him as the Pentagon’s primary liaison in the original Signal chat.
“We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended,” Caldwell wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. “Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.”
In the aftermath of Caldwell’s departure, Hegseth’s deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, were also placed on administrative leave and dismissed on Friday.
