WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive information about a U.S. airstrike in Yemen with a private Signal chat that included individuals outside of government, according to current and former officials briefed on the matter.
The chat, which reportedly included Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Hegseth, his brother, and a personal attorney, received detailed updates about a March 15 air assault targeting Houthi militants, including timing of F/A-18 jet launches, drone deployment, and Tomahawk missile strikes. None of the recipients held national security clearances or government roles.
The disclosure, first reported by The New York Times, has triggered heightened concern within the administration and prompted internal reviews at the Pentagon. Officials say the chat raises questions about whether Hegseth violated protocols governing the handling of classified or sensitive operational data.
Hegseth has denied sharing classified material. In a written statement, he said, “At no point did I disclose classified information. Any communications I had were general updates and within the bounds of my authority.”
But according to people familiar with the Signal messages, the level of operational detail shared in real time went beyond what would be considered routine or appropriate for non-governmental contacts.
This is the second instance in recent weeks where Hegseth’s use of private messaging apps has come under scrutiny. Earlier this month, he mistakenly included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in another Signal group chat that featured discussions about military activity, according to officials aware of the incident.
The Pentagon’s inspector general has opened a review into Hegseth’s communications practices, including the use of encrypted messaging platforms for government business and possible violations of classification rules.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army veteran, has maintained strong ties with political allies and conservative media figures. His tenure as Defense Secretary has drawn criticism for a populist approach and aggressive efforts to sideline senior military leadership in favor of advisers from outside the traditional chain of command.
On Friday, three senior aides to Hegseth — Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll — were placed on administrative leave as part of a broader investigation into leaks and unauthorized disclosures of defense information. All three have denied wrongdoing.
“We don’t even know what we’re being accused of,” Selnick said in a joint statement with Caldwell and Carroll. “This process has lacked transparency and due process from the start.”
The White House has declined to comment publicly on the allegations against Hegseth but confirmed that National Security Council staff had been briefed on the inspector general’s review.
Members of Congress from both parties have begun calling for additional oversight. Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Sunday that the reports “raise serious questions about the safeguarding of national security information at the highest levels of the Department of Defense.”
The March 15 strike targeted missile launch sites used by Houthi forces believed to be preparing attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes. U.S. officials described the operation as a “precise, limited” engagement involving assets from both the Navy and Air Force. No casualties were reported.
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