A Department of Defense inspector general report released on Thursday found that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing operational details of military airstrikes in Yemen via the Signal messaging app. The report warned that if intercepted by a foreign enemy, the information could have endangered US troops.
The investigation revealed that Hegseth sent a message containing operational information to the 'Houthi PC Small Group' Signal chat at 11.44pm on 15 March, matching details from a classified email sent by US Central Command hours earlier. That email, marked secret, included timing and means of the strikes and was not to be shared with foreign nationals.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, called for Hegseth's resignation, stating that service members deserve leaders who do not put them at unnecessary risk. However, Hegseth defended himself on social media, claiming 'no classified information' and 'total exoneration'.
The report noted that the Department of Defense provided only partial messages from Hegseth's phone due to auto-deletion settings, forcing the inspector general to rely on a transcript published by The Atlantic. Hegseth argued that as defense secretary, he has authority to declassify information.
