Pete Hegseth needs to put his phone down as new Signal scandal engulfs his family too

The private group reportedly included two now sacked senior advisers.

PUBLISHED APR 21, 2025

Following the report, Pete Hegseth’s former press secretary, John Ullyot, criticized the Pentagon’s "total chaos".

Washington D.C.: Before the US launched military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly shared classified details about the operation in a second private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother, and about a dozen other personal associates, according to a New York Times report on Sunday.

Sources told the Times that Hegseth disclosed flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets involved in the strikes — the same information he shared in a separate, official Signal group for top administration officials created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The latter group’s existence was revealed last month after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to it.

Elon Musk did visit the Pentagon as per schedule but instead of meeting with the joint chiefs, spoke with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (pictured) and others.

The revelation will pile more pressure on to Hegseth. The private group reportedly included two senior advisers, Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick, who were fired last week over alleged leaks.

Hegseth has faced scrutiny before for involving his wife, Jennifer in sensitive meetings, including discussions on Ukraine with British officials. His brother, Phil, a Pentagon adviser, was also in the chat.

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Hegseth reportedly used a personal phone for the chats.

Following the report, Hegseth’s former press secretary, John Ullyot, criticized the Pentagon’s "total chaos," citing leaks and firings as distractions for the president.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, the White House dismissed the story and put the blame on the recently fired staffers. "No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can't change the fact that no classified information was shared," Anna Kelly said.

"Recently-fired 'leakers' are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President's agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable."