Hegseth defiant over new Signal war plan chat, furious at Pentagon leakers

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth remained defiant in the face of criticism over his use of a second Signal group text chat to share information linked to an attack on Houthi rebels, blaming people he said were trying to undermine the administration.

“I look at war plans every single day, what was shared over Signal then and now, however you characterise it, was informal, unclassified coordination,” Hegseth said in an interview with Fox News.

Hegseth blamed the news of his use of Signal on leakers within the Pentagon. He said an investigation into leaks is ongoing and evidence would eventually be turned over to the Department of Justice for review.

“Why would it surprise anybody if those very same people keep leaking to the very same reporters whatever information they think they can have to try to sabotage the agenda of the president or the secretary?” he said.

Hegseth – a 44-year-old former Fox News host and National Guard officer – was already under scrutiny for sharing confidential information in a Signal chat group detailing an imminent attack against the Houthis in Yemen. The group included top Trump administration officials as well as journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who later wrote about the episode.

Now, a second Signal chat has emerged in which Hegseth shared the information about the pending strikes in Yemen with a group that included his wife and brother, according to a person familiar with the episode. Hegseth dismissed reports that the Pentagon is beset by turmoil under his leadership.

  

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