In the wake of a scandal involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump has voiced support for his cabinet member just as details emerged about discussions of U.S. military attack plans shared inappropriately in a group chat.
Hegseth, who has been under scrutiny for his leadership style and decision-making since taking office, faced backlash after revealing classified information regarding airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Criticism ran high following a report by The Atlantic that detailed Hegseth’s conversation in a Signal chat that inadvertently included a journalist, revealing sensitive data including strike timing and aircraft types.
While Hegseth projected confidence saying, “I know exactly what I’m doing,” many defense officials expressed skepticism about his approach, emphasizing that any military personnel sharing such information would be court-martialed. Former national security officials pointed fingers at Hegseth as the primary culprit, with one stating, “The egregious actor here is Hegseth… he puts all this out on a Signal chat.”
Hegseth’s performance has come under fire particularly in his first two months, as several high-profile initiatives, related to border security and a content purge in the Department of Defense (DoD), faced severe backlash. These changes seemed rushed and lacked thorough deliberation. According to insiders, many of Hegseth’s orders appear driven more by gut instinct than careful consideration.
Representative Rich McCormick, a Georgia GOP member and veteran, characterized the leak of sensitive information as a mistake requiring accountability but refrained from suggesting Hegseth should resign. Despite his controversial tactics, Hegseth’s efforts to enhance military appearances may focus more on optics than on operational readiness, a sentiment echoed by defense officials who noted that troop deployments at the southern border are primarily for show rather than substantive military engagement.
The scandal escalated as President Trump distanced himself from the incident during a press conference, asserting that responsibility fell on National Security Adviser Mike Waltz but not Hegseth. Trump remarked, “How do you bring Hegseth into it? He had nothing to do with it,” dismissing the implications of the Signal chat.
Despite the incident, Trump continues to laud Hegseth’s contributions with statements appreciating the momentum of military strikes, even as the operational effectiveness of these maneuvers against the Houthis has come under question with continued missile attacks from Yemen.
Overall, this situation highlights significant challenges facing Hegseth’s leadership amid criticisms of his experience and decision-making processes, drawing a stark contrast to his more seasoned predecessors at a time of escalating military and international tensions.