U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under scrutiny after The New York Times reported Sunday that he allegedly shared details of a March military operation targeting Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in an unclassified Signal group chat involving family members and personal contacts. The revelations raise concerns about protocol breaches and unauthorized handling of sensitive security information.
According to the report, the chat included Hegseth's wife, brother, and lawyer, and disclosed scheduling details of U.S. airstrikes. This follows a previous incident reported by The Atlantic, where sensitive discussions were accidentally shared with a journalist due to a misconfigured Signal group involving senior Trump administration officials.
Pentagon officials emphasized that no classified information was shared in the chats, though critics argue such practices risk operational security. The controversy coincides with the reported removal of a senior Hegseth adviser, Dan Caldwell, amid a Defense Department leak investigation. Two additional staffers were later placed on administrative leave.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for Hegseth's dismissal, stating on social media: "We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk… He must be fired." The Pentagon has not commented on the latest reports.
These developments occur as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to combat unauthorized disclosures, with Hegseth himself previously supporting aggressive leak investigations.
