In a troubling incident this past March, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth allegedly compromised sensitive military information by using the messaging platform Signal to share classified attack plans targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen. This revelation comes from four sources familiar with a classified Inspector General report, raising significant concerns about the potential risks posed to American troops and critical mission objectives.
The repercussions of Hegseth’s actions remain ambiguous, with two sources informing CNN that the Inspector General concluded he possessed the authority to declassify the information. Hegseth defended his decision, stating that he made an operational choice to share this information in real-time. However, there is no documented evidence to support his claim of having officially declassified the materials before disseminating them.
An unclassified version of the report is set to be released publicly on Thursday, while the classified findings were delivered to Congress on Tuesday night. The messages sent from Hegseth’s Signal account included specific and sensitive updates regarding planned military strikes, with one message reportedly stating, “This is when the first bombs will drop.” These details raise alarms regarding the potential breach of operational security.
It remains unclear whether Hegseth appropriately declassified the information prior to sharing it with other top officials from the Trump administration, as well as with a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg from the Atlantic, who was inadvertently added to the chat. Notably, Hegseth declined to participate in an interview with the Inspector General and instead provided his account of the events in writing.
The findings from the Inspector General's investigation are part of a broader report that emerged after a thorough review of Hegseth’s use of Signal. The report emphasized that Hegseth should not have utilized this platform for such sensitive communications and recommended that senior officials within the Defense Department receive enhanced training on proper protocols for handling classified information.
The anticipated release of this investigation may exacerbate pre-existing concerns raised by lawmakers from both parties regarding Hegseth’s judgment. This incident could also reignite discussions around a previous episode that nearly resulted in his dismissal several months ago, as reported by CNN.
This story is still developing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available. CNN’s Natasha Bertrand contributed to this report.