“One other day, one other previous story,” stated Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell in an announcement. However whereas the information he was responding to on Sunday could have sounded acquainted, it was in truth new.
After Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Cupboard officers have been revealed final month to have mentioned U.S. navy strikes on Yemen in a Sign chat group that mistakenly included the Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, new stories recommend Hegseth could have shared related assault particulars in one other chat on the identical business messaging platform—this time, with a gaggle that reportedly included his spouse, brother, and private lawyer.
The New York Occasions first reported on Hegseth’s second delicate Sign chat, citing 4 unnamed sources with data of the chat. CNN additionally reported on it, citing three unnamed sources accustomed to the chat, whereas the Related Press confirmed the Occasions’ reporting, citing an nameless supply accustomed to the chat’s contents and individuals.
Hegseth and the Trump Administration confronted heavy criticism concerning the implications for nationwide safety after the preliminary leak report final month, with some Congress members even calling on the Protection Secretary to step down. The Administration and GOP allies, nevertheless, downplayed the controversy, with President Trump himself accusing critics of constructing “an enormous deal” out of his Administration’s “solely glitch in two months.”
“The small print hold popping out,” Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer posted on X after the most recent stories. “We continue to learn how Pete Hegseth put lives in danger. However Trump continues to be too weak to fireplace him. Pete Hegseth have to be fired.”
Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson who was additionally reportedly a member of the second chat group, insisted there was “no categorized data in any Sign chat” and that the stories are proof that the “Trump-hating media continues to be obsessive about destroying anybody dedicated to President Trump’s agenda.”
Right here’s what to know.
What data was within the second Sign chat?
The Occasions reported that among the data within the newly revealed Sign chat group, which was named “Protection | Staff Huddle,” included flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornet fight plane concentrating on the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report described it as “primarily the identical assault plans” that Hegseth had shared within the Sign group chat known as “Houthi PC small group” that included high nationwide safety officers in addition to the Atlantic’s Goldberg.
Hegseth reportedly accessed the chat on a personal telephone distinct from his government-issued machine. He created it to debate “routine administrative or scheduling data,” in accordance with two of the Occasions’ sources, who famous that the Protection Secretary didn’t sometimes use the chat to debate delicate navy operations.
Who was within the second Sign chat?
In addition to Hegseth and Parnell, the “Protection | Staff Huddle” chat additionally reportedly included Hegseth’s youthful brother Phil, who works within the Pentagon as a Division of Homeland Safety senior adviser and liaison.
It additionally reportedly included Tim Parlatore, Hegseth’s private lawyer, whom Hegseth commissioned final month as a Navy commander within the Choose Advocate Common’s Corps.
It’s unclear what stage of safety clearance Phil Hegseth or Parlatore could have, given their authorities roles, however Hegseth’s spouse Jennifer, a former Fox Information producer who was additionally reportedly a member of the chat, doesn’t have an official authorities function. The Protection Secretary has been beforehand scrutinized for together with his spouse in delicate conferences with overseas officers.
The chat additionally reportedly included two former senior advisers to Hegseth: Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick. Caldwell and Selnick, together with former deputy protection secretary chief of employees Colin Carroll, have been fired days earlier, ostensibly after an investigation into leaks. The three issued an announcement asserting their innocence and claiming they’ve been “slandered” whereas sustaining that they “stay supportive of the Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon nice once more.”
The “Protection | Staff Huddle” chat additionally reportedly included Joe Kasper, the Protection Secretary’s chief of employees who reportedly requested the leak investigation and is about to depart his put up for a brand new function on the Pentagon amid the turmoil.
Why is the Trump Administration blaming disgruntled ex-employees?
Parnell, in his assertion, criticized the Occasions “and all different Faux Information that repeat their rubbish” for “enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former workers as the only real sources for his or her article.” The Occasions in addition to CNN and the AP didn’t title their sources. “They relied solely on the phrases of people that have been fired this week and seem to have a motive to sabotage the Secretary and the President’s agenda,” Parnell claimed.
White Home deputy press secretary Anna Kelly equally dismissed the stories, saying in an announcement to the AP: “Irrespective of what number of instances the legacy media tries to resurrect the identical non-story, they’ll’t change the truth that no categorized data was shared.” Kelly additionally blamed disgruntled ex-employees, including: “Not too long ago-fired ‘leakers’ are persevering with to misrepresent the reality to appease their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, however the administration will proceed to carry them accountable.”
Hours after the Occasions reported on the existence of the second delicate Sign group chat, John Ullyot, who resigned as appearing Protection Division press secretary final week, printed a tell-all op-ed for Politico through which he painted a portrait of “whole chaos” and “disarray” on the Pentagon underneath Hegseth.
Ullyot described Hegseth’s current firing of Caldwell, Selnick, and Carroll—“three of his most loyal senior staffers”—as “unusual and baffling” and probably just the start of a broader “purge.” He additionally instructed that the leak allegations towards the three officers have been unfounded. “Sadly, Hegseth’s staff has developed a behavior of spreading flat-out, simply debunked falsehoods anonymously about their colleagues on their approach out the door,” Ullyot wrote.
“The dysfunction is now a significant distraction for the president,” Ullyot asserted, warning that there could but be “extra sneakers to drop in brief order” and “even larger bombshell tales coming this week.” Given Trump’s “robust document of holding his high officers to account,” he added, “it’s arduous to see Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his function for for much longer.”
What are the reactions to this point?
The contemporary information of Hegseth probably disclosing delicate data in one other Sign chat has already prompted sharp rebuke from some Democratic lawmakers.
Sen. Jack Reed (D, R.I.), the rating member of the Armed Providers Committee, stated in an announcement that Hegseth “should instantly clarify” and urged the Protection Division’s Inspector Common Workplace to incorporate the most recent allegations in its ongoing investigation of Hegseth’s mishandling of categorized data. “If true, this incident is one other troubling instance of Secretary Hegseth’s reckless disregard for the legal guidelines and protocols that each different navy servicemember is required to observe,” Reed stated.
Sen. Andy Kim. (D., N.J.) posted on X: “I’ll say it once more—Hegseth must resign. There was greater than sufficient from the final Sign leak to point out he’s not match to guide our navy.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D, N.Y.) posted on X that Hegseth “recklessly used an unsecured app to debate struggle plans with senior officers. Now we all know he additionally shared these delicate particulars together with his household over Sign, even after being explicitly warned to not. Republicans should be a part of me in calling on him to resign instantly.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D, Ailing.) additionally known as on Hegseth to resign, posting on X: “What number of instances does Pete Hegseth must leak categorized intelligence earlier than Donald Trump and Republicans perceive that he isn’t solely a f*cking liar, he’s a menace to our nationwide safety? Each day he stays in his job is one other day our troops’ lives are endangered by his singular stupidity.”
