Hegseth’s Signal chat put troops in peril, probe finds

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

A 'damning review of an incompetent secretary of defense who is profoundly incapable of the job'

(Image credit: Yuri Gripas / CNP / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

What happened

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked the lives of military personnel when he disclosed highly sensitive information about a pending military strike in Signal group chats in March, the Pentagon inspector general found in a classified report shared with Congress Wednesday, according to lawmakers and multiple news organizations. Hegseth violated Pentagon rules, the watchdog reportedly found, but it could not be determined if he improperly shared classified information, since the defense secretary can unilaterally declassify such material.

Who said what

“No classified information. Total exoneration. Case closed,” Hegseth said on social media. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said the “objective, evidence-based” inquiry “leaves no doubt” that Hegseth “endangered the lives of American pilots” and “created unacceptable risks” to their mission by “sharing classified operational details on an unsecure group chat.” Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the report a “damning review of an incompetent secretary of defense who is profoundly incapable of the job.”

The report’s release “comes at a delicate time for the former Fox News host, as scrutiny intensifies of his leadership,” especially over potentially illegal strikes on alleged drug traffickers, Reuters said. “Hegseth and his inner circle have been bracing for months” for the report’s release, hoping it “would mark the final chapter” of this “prolonged political headache,” CNN said. But instead, it could “compound existing concerns voiced by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle about Hegseth’s judgment.”

What next?

President Donald Trump “stands by” Hegseth, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday. An unclassified, redacted version of the inspector general’s report was expected to be released publicly today.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.