Pentagon Watchdog Finds Hegseth's Signal Chat Violated Regulations, Could Have Endangered Troops
A Pentagon watchdog has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive military information in a private Signal group chat earlier this year, potentially jeopardizing the safety of US service members and compromising national security.
According to sources familiar with the report, Hegseth used his personal device to transmit classified information about US military operations in Yemen to other top Trump officials and The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief. This was a clear breach of Defense Department policies.
The review found that key information posted by Hegseth was derived from a classified email marked "SECRET//NOFORN". This designation indicates the information is highly sensitive and should only be shared with authorized personnel within the US government, excluding foreign nationals.
If intercepted by a foreign adversary, the information could have clearly endangered US service members and compromised the mission.
However, it's unclear whether Hegseth declassified the information before posting it in the Signal chat group. The report does not address this aspect of the incident.
The Pentagon has dismissed the findings as "a total exoneration" of Hegseth, stating that no classified information was shared. However, this stance is at odds with the concerns raised by US Africa Command, which also found that releasing similar information would have compromised national security.
Top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are calling for Hegseth to resign, citing a "broad pattern of recklessness and poor judgment" from the Defense Secretary. The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of Hegseth's handling of sensitive information and his fitness for office.
A Pentagon watchdog has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive military information in a private Signal group chat earlier this year, potentially jeopardizing the safety of US service members and compromising national security.
According to sources familiar with the report, Hegseth used his personal device to transmit classified information about US military operations in Yemen to other top Trump officials and The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief. This was a clear breach of Defense Department policies.
The review found that key information posted by Hegseth was derived from a classified email marked "SECRET//NOFORN". This designation indicates the information is highly sensitive and should only be shared with authorized personnel within the US government, excluding foreign nationals.
If intercepted by a foreign adversary, the information could have clearly endangered US service members and compromised the mission.
However, it's unclear whether Hegseth declassified the information before posting it in the Signal chat group. The report does not address this aspect of the incident.
The Pentagon has dismissed the findings as "a total exoneration" of Hegseth, stating that no classified information was shared. However, this stance is at odds with the concerns raised by US Africa Command, which also found that releasing similar information would have compromised national security.
Top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are calling for Hegseth to resign, citing a "broad pattern of recklessness and poor judgment" from the Defense Secretary. The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of Hegseth's handling of sensitive information and his fitness for office.
this is so serious!!! like, how can someone in such a high position of power just share super classified info on a personal chat group? 
it's not even like he had to worry about anyone snooping around because they were in a private group... and what if a foreigner somehow got their hands on that chat log?! 
we can't even imagine the consequences... anyway, I guess this is why there are rules in place for people like Hegseth 
it's kinda crazy how some ppl just don't seem to understand the gravity of things...
... sharing classified info in a personal chat group? that's like leaving your keys in the car with the doors unlocked! what's next? 
how do you expect to keep us safe when you're gonna mess around with top secret stuff on WhatsApp? 
It just goes to show that even the people in charge can't be trusted with top-secret stuff. I mean, come on, Pete Hegseth! 
You gotta be more careful, mate. We've got our lives and national security on the line here. What was he thinking, sharing that info with some bloke from The Atlantic? 
It's like he thought the signal group was a secure bubble where he could let his guard down? 
I get it, they wanna protect their guy, but shouldn't we be taking these kinds of incidents way more seriously than this? 
... but still, it's crazy that he shared classified deets in a group chat 
... top Dems are right to call for him to resign 
... we need people in charge who take security seriously 
... anyway, hope this incident prompts some real change around national security protocols 
i mean i get it he might think its just casual convo but to the ppl who read that email 
like come on he could've been compromised!!! what if russian spies are listening in ? 
Can we please get some accountability around these kinds of breaches? And what's with the Pentagon's spin job? "A total exoneration" sounds like something out of a bad joke... 
. But still, the fact that he used a personal device to send sensitive info out into the wild is just plain sloppy 
.
. They're more in tune to what's really going on here than some faceless bureaucrats at the Pentagon 
. And yeah, I'm not convinced that Hegseth declassified the info before posting it... there's just too much at stake here for him to be that reckless 
. So yeah, I think it's time for him to take responsibility for his actions and maybe even step down 
.
It's gonna be super interesting to see how this all plays out, especially with Top Dems calling for him to resign...