Hegseth Pulled Airstrike Data From Secure Channel for Signal Posts/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared airstrike details from a secure military channel via Signal. The messages, part of a chat with family and others, have prompted an internal Pentagon investigation. Critics say the leak may involve classified information and serious national security risks.
Hegseth’s Signal Sharing Sparks Security Concerns: Quick Looks
- Secure Source Breach: Hegseth reportedly pulled classified airstrike data from U.S. Central Command channels to share on Signal.
- Multiple Leaks: A second Signal chat, including family members, shared identical details to a previously leaked group with Trump officials.
- Defense Mounts: Hegseth denies leaking classified info, calling it “informal” coordination and blaming disgruntled ex-staffers.
- Former CIA Chief Alarmed: Leon Panetta calls it a “serious security breach” involving highly classified military strike data.
- Ongoing Shake-Up: Six top aides ousted as Hegseth’s inner circle contracts amid rising paranoia over leaks.
- Signal Not Secure for Classified Use: Despite being encrypted, Signal is not an authorized platform for U.S. military communications.
- IG Probe Underway: A Defense Department inspector general investigation is ongoing into both Signal chats.
- Growing Isolation: Sources say Hegseth now operates within a shrinking circle of trusted personnel.
Hegseth Pulled Airstrike Data From Secure Channel for Signal Posts
Deep Look
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2025 — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under intensified scrutiny following revelations that he pulled sensitive airstrike timing data from a secure U.S. Central Command communications channel and posted it into an unsecured Signal chat, according to a report by NBC News confirmed by an Associated Press source.
The information — which included launch and bomb drop times for U.S. warplanes striking Houthi targets in Yemen — is considered highly classified by multiple defense officials. It was reportedly shared in a second Signal group chat consisting of Hegseth’s wife, brother, attorney, and over a dozen other individuals.
“This was not a rogue message. It was identical to the same strike data shared in an earlier Signal chat with Trump’s National Security Council members,” said a person familiar with the matter, who spoke to the AP anonymously due to fear of retaliation.
Second Signal Chat Under Scrutiny
The second chat adds to the controversy sparked by a previous leak involving a group that mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief. That initial breach triggered an ongoing Defense Department inspector general investigation.
While Hegseth has not confirmed setting up the second Signal group, he has defended the contents, insisting they were unclassified and blaming “leaks from disgruntled ex-staffers” for the scandal.
“I said repeatedly, nobody is texting war plans,” Hegseth told Fox News. “What was shared… was informal, unclassified coordination for media and other things.”
However, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta sharply disagreed, telling the AP the nature and timing of the data make it inherently classified.
“It is unheard of to have a Secretary of Defense committing these kind of serious security breaches,” Panetta said. “Developing and communicating strike timelines is among the most classified information in the military.”
Signal’s Security Limitations
Although Signal is encrypted end-to-end, it is not a government-approved platform for classified communications. Using it to transmit secure military operations data represents a potential violation of national security protocols, experts say.
Pentagon Turmoil
As the fallout intensifies, Hegseth has reportedly purged key members of his inner circle, dismissing or reassigning at least six aides in the past week. Among them:
- Dan Caldwell, longtime Hegseth aide
- Colin Carroll, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg’s chief of staff
- Darin Selnick, Hegseth’s deputy chief of staff
The three were escorted out of the Pentagon as part of an internal leak investigation.
In a Fox & Friends interview Tuesday, Hegseth suggested they were behind attempts to “leak and sabotage” his leadership.
“You work with people for years, and they turn on you,” he said, visibly agitated.
The turmoil comes as Chief of Staff Joe Kasper transitions to a new role, while former Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell steps in as a temporary top advisor. Another former spokesman, John Ullyot, resigned last week. Though officially termed “unrelated to the leaks,” Pentagon insiders confirmed he was asked to resign.
Mounting Political Pressure
This unfolding crisis not only raises concerns about national security breaches, but also reflects the deepening fractures inside Trump’s national security apparatus. Critics say Hegseth’s increasing isolation and defensiveness could hinder Pentagon operations at a time of rising global tension.
The Defense Department inspector general’s probe into the Signal chats continues, and legal experts suggest criminal liability could be on the table depending on how the data was sourced, shared, and classified.
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