In a significant development, the Pentagon's internal watchdog has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may have compromised sensitive military information, potentially endangering U.S. service members. This determination stems from Hegseth's sharing of classified details regarding U.S. military operations in Yemen through a private Signal group chat earlier this year, as revealed by a U.S. official and a source familiar with the findings of the report.
The findings indicate that Hegseth, a former Fox News host turned defense secretary, breached Defense Department policies by utilizing his personal device for official communications. This misuse allowed him to transmit sensitive military information to other top officials within the Trump administration and even to Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. Due to the sensitive nature of the report, the sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
A classified version of the inspector general's report was submitted to Congress on Tuesday, with an unredacted version anticipated for release on Thursday. CNN was the first to report on the findings of the defense inspector general, which confirmed earlier reports by CBS News from July. According to these sources, the information shared by Hegseth in the encrypted Signal chat was sourced from a classified email marked SECRET//NOFORN.
The SECRET designation indicates that the information was classified, and its unauthorized disclosure could potentially cause serious harm to national security and jeopardize the safety of U.S. service members. The NOFORN label restricts the dissemination of this sensitive information to U.S. agencies and individuals only, explicitly excluding foreign nationals and allies. Sources familiar with the investigation noted that had this information been intercepted by a foreign adversary, it could have put U.S. service members and military missions at risk.
While the inspector general's report highlights the risks involved, it does not clarify whether Hegseth declassified the information prior to sharing it in the Signal group chat, which included other prominent Trump officials. This group chat inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, who later published a story in March detailing the incident. Just a day after the Signal chat story was released, U.S. Africa Command, in collaboration with the Somali government, executed multiple airstrikes targeting affiliates of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Somalia.
After several Trump administration officials asserted that the information in the Signal chat group was unclassified, CBS News submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to U.S. Africa Command. This request aimed to obtain similar information about the March 25 airstrike on ISIS operatives in Somalia, which officials claimed was also unclassified. However, in early September, CBS News received a response from U.S. Africa Command, echoing the Pentagon inspector general’s conclusion that releasing such material could jeopardize national security.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the inspector general's review aligns with the Administration's position that no classified information was leaked and that operational security remained intact. She praised the President's national security team for effectively advancing American interests while safeguarding sensitive information. Leavitt also noted that President Trump continues to support Secretary Hegseth, who has yet to publicly comment on the inspector general's report.
Last month, during Fox Nation's Patriot Awards, Hegseth made light of the Signalgate scandal, joking about the incident after spotting U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz in the audience. He stated, "I see Mike Waltz — Mike, I'll hit you up on Signal later," highlighting the ongoing scrutiny surrounding his actions.