Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been accused of putting US troops in danger after allegedly sharing classified information about a planned airstrike in Yemen on a public messaging app called Signal. According to a report by the Department of Defense's internal investigative agency, the inspector general, Hegseth shared sensitive details with a group that included CIA director JD Vance and former national security adviser Mike Waltz.
The incident occurred in March when Hegseth added an unapproved journalist to the Signal chat, allowing them access to classified information. The report suggests that this was a serious breach of protocol, as the app is not approved for handling sensitive information like the one Hegseth shared.
One key point of contention is whether Hegseth actually declassified the material before sharing it with others on the Signal chat. The inspector general's report did not investigate the actions of other officials who received this information, including Vance and Waltz. However, the fact remains that Hegseth distributed what was described as "secret" information to a group without proper clearance or oversight.
Critics have raised concerns about the potential risks if foreign adversaries had intercepted this information, which could potentially put US troops in harm's way. In response, Hegseth stated that he only shared information that would not compromise operational security and maintained his right to declassify material. However, some have questioned his assertion that the inspector general is "partisan" given their bipartisan nature.
The full details of the report are expected to be released later this week in an unclassified version for Congress.
The incident occurred in March when Hegseth added an unapproved journalist to the Signal chat, allowing them access to classified information. The report suggests that this was a serious breach of protocol, as the app is not approved for handling sensitive information like the one Hegseth shared.
One key point of contention is whether Hegseth actually declassified the material before sharing it with others on the Signal chat. The inspector general's report did not investigate the actions of other officials who received this information, including Vance and Waltz. However, the fact remains that Hegseth distributed what was described as "secret" information to a group without proper clearance or oversight.
Critics have raised concerns about the potential risks if foreign adversaries had intercepted this information, which could potentially put US troops in harm's way. In response, Hegseth stated that he only shared information that would not compromise operational security and maintained his right to declassify material. However, some have questioned his assertion that the inspector general is "partisan" given their bipartisan nature.
The full details of the report are expected to be released later this week in an unclassified version for Congress.
I'm really worried about this situation. A sec def like Pete Hegseth sharing classified info on a public app? It's just too much risk. I get that he might have thought it was safe, but that doesn't mean it wasn't. If foreign enemies got a hold of that intel, it could put our troops in real danger. 
And what about the fact that others on the Signal chat had access to it without proper clearance? That's just not right. I'm also confused about why he's denying being partisan - isn't this all about following protocol and keeping people safe? 
This is a big deal, folks. We need to make sure our defense officials are taking their responsibilities seriously. 
. I get that he might've thought it was safe or whatever, but who knows what kind of security measures are in place on that app? 
.
. How do we know he didn't just make a mistake and get it wrong? The fact that the inspector general didn't dig deeper into who else got this info is pretty concerning too 
.
I'm looking forward to seeing more about this whole thing when it comes out later this week 
. I mean, we're talking about classified info being shared on a public app - that's like playing with fire 
! The fact that Hegseth didn't follow protocol and put our troops at risk is just unacceptable 
. And to make matters worse, the inspector general's report doesn't even go into what else might have happened, like whether other officials received this info or if it was intercepted by bad actors 
.
. I mean, come on, Pete - that's just not how we do things in the US military 
. This whole thing needs to be thoroughly investigated and if anyone broke the law, they should face consequences 
.
. The fact that Hegseth added an unapproved journalist to the chat and shared sensitive details without proper clearance is a huge red flag 
. And now we're wondering if he actually declassified the material before sharing it... that's a whole 'nother can of worms 
. But for now, it seems like Hegseth put US troops in danger, and that's a big deal 
I'm really worried about this whole situation with Pete Hegseth and the classified info on Signal 
. As a former military vet, I know how sensitive that stuff is, and it's just not right that he shared it with anyone without proper clearance 
. I mean, what if some foreign actor like Iran or China intercepted that convo? We could be putting lives at risk over some careless tech choice 
. I'm all for transparency, but when it comes to national security, we gotta be way more careful 
. Can't trust anyone with sensitive info just because they're buddies 
.
. One thing's for sure - we need to get to the bottom of this before someone gets hurt 
Like, what if foreign bad guys intercepted that convo and now we got US TROOPS IN DANGER?!?! 
The whole thing just reeks of negligence and recklessness. Can't believe our top defense sec is putting US lives at risk like this! 
.