Trump Defends Hegseth Amid Second Signal Chat Revelation

President Donald Trump offered a forceful defense of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, dismissing mounting criticism after reports emerged of a second Signal group chat in which sensitive military information was shared with people outside official channels. The latest controversy involves Hegseth reportedly sharing details about planned U.S. air strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels with a group that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer, according to BBC News.

“Pete’s doing a great job,” Trump told reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll. “Everybody’s happy with him.” The president characterized the controversy as “the same old stuff from the media” and challenged reporters to “try finding something new.”

This latest revelation comes just weeks after the first Signal chat scandal, in which Hegseth and other administration officials inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic magazine, in a group discussing military operations.

Source: Gage Skidmore/Pete Hegseth/WikimediaCommons

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White House Blames “Disgruntled Employees” for Leaks

Trump suggested the source of the story “sounds like disgruntled employees,” echoing a defense also voiced by Hegseth earlier on Monday. The defense secretary, without directly addressing the existence of the second chat, claimed the news media was “full of hoaxsters” who “try to slash and burn people.”

White House officials have neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the second Signal group, named “Defense | Team Huddle,” but have emphasized that no classified information was shared in any communications, according to The Guardian.

The messages in question, reportedly sent on March 15, included flight schedules for American F/A-18 Hornets conducting strikes on Houthi targets. While such operational details may not be officially classified, security experts have questioned why such sensitive information would be shared with individuals like Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer who holds no official position within the Pentagon.

Pentagon in “Total Chaos” Claims Former Spokesperson

The controversy has intensified following the publication of a scathing op-ed by John Ullyot, the top Pentagon spokesperson who resigned last week. In the Politico piece, Ullyot characterized the Department of Defense as being in “total chaos” under Hegseth’s leadership.

“The dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president – who deserves better from his senior leadership,” Ullyot wrote, directly challenging the administration’s narrative that all is well at the Pentagon.

His criticism came after Hegseth fired three top officials last week for what was described as an “unauthorized disclosure” – accusations the officials characterized as “baseless.” The timing of these dismissals, coming shortly before the second Signal chat story broke, has raised questions about whether they might be connected to the latest revelations.

Republican Lawmaker Expresses Concerns

While the White House has closed ranks around Hegseth, cracks have begun to appear elsewhere. Republican Congressman Don Bacon, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and is a former Air Force general, stopped short of calling for Hegseth’s resignation but expressed significant reservations about his leadership.

“I had concerns from the get-go because Pete Hegseth didn’t have a lot of experience,” Bacon said. “I find it unacceptable and I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in charge,” he added, according to The Independent.

The White House quickly denied a report by NPR that a search for a replacement defense secretary was already underway, underscoring Trump’s public commitment to standing by his embattled appointee.

Yemen Strikes Continue Amid Leadership Questions

The Signal chat controversies are unfolding against the backdrop of ongoing U.S. military operations in Yemen. Washington has described its strikes as punishment for Houthi attacks on cargo vessels transiting through the Red Sea, a critical waterway for international trade.

Recent U.S. air strikes on an oil terminal in northwestern Yemen reportedly killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. The Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels since November 2023, claiming they are acting in support of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.

As the controversy continues to unfold, the question remains whether Trump’s support will be enough to insulate Hegseth from growing criticism, or if the accumulating scandals will eventually necessitate a change at the Pentagon’s highest level.

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