Just before the U.S. launched airstrikes on Yemen on March 15, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared secret attack plans in a private Signal chat group. According to Reporter, the group included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer — raising serious concerns about his handling of sensitive military information.
The Signal chat group was originally created by U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. It included top officials from the Trump administration. A journalist from The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to the group last month, which revealed that classified information was being discussed there.
Now, it’s been discovered that Hegseth also created a separate Signal chat in January called “Defense | Team Huddle.” This group included his wife and close friends from both his personal and work life. He used his private phone, not his government-issued one, to run the group. Sources say he shared the same attack details in both chats — including the flight schedule of fighter jets that would strike targets in Yemen.
Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, has also been seen attending sensitive military meetings, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This second leak adds to the growing criticism of Hegseth’s judgment and leadership. Critics say he put lives at risk by sharing top-secret military plans multiple times.
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Also, one of Hegseth’s top advisers, Dan Caldwell, was removed from the Pentagon last week after being linked to another leak investigation. Two other officials, Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, were placed on leave shortly after.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Hegseth to be fired, saying:
“We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. But Trump is still too weak to fire him. Pete Hegseth must be fired.”
Despite the Trump administration’s strict stance on leaks, this incident suggests a major security failure from within. So far, neither the Pentagon nor the White House has responded to requests for comment.
