US Defence Secretary Hegseth Accused of Using Signal Messaging App to Share Sensitive Info
A scathing Inspector General report has raised significant concerns about US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the messaging app Signal, which allegedly put a top-secret military operation at risk. According to anonymous sources familiar with the document, Hegseth used his personal device to transmit sensitive information, violating Pentagon policy.
The controversy began in late March when The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg received an invitation to join a Signal chat, supposedly sent by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. Although Goldberg was unsure if the message was legitimate, he accepted the invitation and found himself caught up in a conversation involving senior Trump administration officials, including Hegseth.
The discussion reportedly revealed sensitive details about a March 15 attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen, including the timing of F-18 plane launches and drone arrivals. Critics have expressed outrage over the risks posed by the messages, fearing that they could have endangered service members' lives if intercepted by foreign intelligence operatives.
Despite the allegations, the Inspector General's report has declined to determine whether the information Hegseth transmitted was classified at the time. However, it recommends greater training for officials to ensure compliance with operational security standards.
Defence Secretary Hegseth has denied sharing "war plans" over Signal and called the controversy a "witch-hunt." Administration officials have repeatedly pushed for the scandal, dubbed Signalgate, to be closed. Despite this, critics, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded an investigation into Hegseth's actions.
The Pentagon's acting Inspector General has launched a probe into the matter, citing concerns over compliance with classification and records retention requirements. This move comes amid a broader purge of government watchdogs during Trump's presidency, which has raised questions about the independence of oversight agencies.
A scathing Inspector General report has raised significant concerns about US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the messaging app Signal, which allegedly put a top-secret military operation at risk. According to anonymous sources familiar with the document, Hegseth used his personal device to transmit sensitive information, violating Pentagon policy.
The controversy began in late March when The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg received an invitation to join a Signal chat, supposedly sent by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. Although Goldberg was unsure if the message was legitimate, he accepted the invitation and found himself caught up in a conversation involving senior Trump administration officials, including Hegseth.
The discussion reportedly revealed sensitive details about a March 15 attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen, including the timing of F-18 plane launches and drone arrivals. Critics have expressed outrage over the risks posed by the messages, fearing that they could have endangered service members' lives if intercepted by foreign intelligence operatives.
Despite the allegations, the Inspector General's report has declined to determine whether the information Hegseth transmitted was classified at the time. However, it recommends greater training for officials to ensure compliance with operational security standards.
Defence Secretary Hegseth has denied sharing "war plans" over Signal and called the controversy a "witch-hunt." Administration officials have repeatedly pushed for the scandal, dubbed Signalgate, to be closed. Despite this, critics, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded an investigation into Hegseth's actions.
The Pentagon's acting Inspector General has launched a probe into the matter, citing concerns over compliance with classification and records retention requirements. This move comes amid a broader purge of government watchdogs during Trump's presidency, which has raised questions about the independence of oversight agencies.
, signal is like a no-brainer for secure comms if u know what ur doing... but i guess u gotta ask if Hegseth was just winging it 
and didn't bother with proper clearance... which seems super negligent 4 a secdef 
... now we're supposed 2 trust the IG's report without any actual evidence? 
seems fishy to me...
how can they be so reckless like share top secret info on some random messaging app?? its not just about the security risks but also about who knows what and when its all getting out there 
i mean i get that signal is super secure but thats even more reason to use it properly, not casually like hegseth did 
we need some serious reforms in place ASAP or else this is gonna blow up into something way bigger than just signalgate 
Signal is already super popular among politicians and military folks for its end-to-end encryption and ease of use... but not everyone uses it responsibly 
I mean, if the top brass can't even follow basic protocol, how's that gonna keep our nation safe? 
... still, this whole thing has me worried 
. And what about the bigger picture - is this just another example of how our military-industrial complex prioritizes power and prestige over actual safety?
This is just a classic case of them trying to silence the whistleblower and sweep it under the rug. I'll believe it when I see some real transparency from those involved. 
- how do u think Hegseth could've been so reckless w/ that signal app? I mean, we all know it's super secure, but come on... Pentagon policy is in place for a reason! 
and btw, why is this happening during the whole purge of watchdogs? It's like, we need more transparency not less. 
The whole situation is so messed up, it's like a game of telephone with sensitive info. One wrong move and everything falls apart 
Can't trust anyone when it comes to security? 
This whole Signalgate thing is just a headache, and I'm not even surprised the Pentagon is trying to downplay it 
... like, how r we suppost 2 do our jobs w/o gettin caught?? 
The inspector genral report says he used his personal device 2 transmit classified info without followin proper protocol 
. Senate Dem leader Chuck Schumer is right 4 demandin an investigation tho... we need 2 make sure our gov officials r held accountable 
. the fact that ther r allegations of a purge of gov watchdogs during Trump's presedency just adds 2 the mess... like, wut r we goin 2 do about it? 
. Now we've got these apps and phones that can do everything except make us humans 
I don't get why they're making such a big deal out of this... like, it sounds pretty obvious that using Signal for sensitive info wasn't a good idea 
.