A damning report has concluded that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth endangered American military personnel by sharing highly sensitive information about ongoing operations in a private Signal group chat.
Report Details Serious Security Breach
The classified findings, which were sent to Congress on Tuesday night, allege that the senior Pentagon official disclosed details of military plans on the encrypted messaging platform earlier this year. The information was reportedly so sensitive that its dissemination could have directly compromised troop safety and operational security.
CNN first obtained and shared the contents of the report. An unclassified version of the document is scheduled for public release on Thursday, which is expected to provide further context while redacting the most critical intelligence.
Timeline and Political Context
The incident reportedly occurred earlier in 2025, during Pete Hegseth's tenure as Defence Secretary under President Donald Trump. Hegseth was photographed attending a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on December 2, 2025, just a day before the report's details emerged publicly.
The revelation raises immediate and serious questions about protocol and security at the highest levels of the US Department of Defence. Using unofficial, encrypted channels for state secrets represents a significant breach of standard procedure and has sparked concerns among lawmakers and national security experts.
Potential Consequences and Fallout
The primary concern outlined in the report is the direct risk to US troops. By sharing operational details outside secure, official channels, the actions could have exposed strategic movements and intentions, making forces vulnerable.
The delivery of the report to Congress indicates the matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness on Capitol Hill. Legislators will likely scrutinise the unclassified findings and may call for hearings or further investigation into the security practices of the current administration.
This incident is poised to become a major political and defence scandal, challenging the administration's management of national security and potentially damaging the credibility of a key cabinet secretary.
