United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing renewed scrutiny after reports alleged that he shared classified military details in a second private Signal chat, this time including his wife, lawyer, and brother—raising fresh concerns over his handling of sensitive information related to US military operations in Yemen.
This marks the second instance in recent weeks wherein Hegseth is said to have discussed restricted information concerning planned airstrikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen.
The previous incident involved a private Signal group chat that included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine.
According to sources cited in multiple American media outlets, the second chat contained “flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen.”
The chat group, reportedly created by Hegseth prior to his confirmation as Defence Secretary, was intended to coordinate with individuals outside the formal security establishment.
While his brother Phil Hegseth and attorney Tim Parlatore are both employed at the Department of Defence, his wife Jennifer Hegseth, a former television news producer, holds no formal government position.
Responding to mounting media inquiries, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell condemned the reports as biased, claiming they stem from disgruntled former staff and partisan outlets.
“There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways they try to write the story,” Parnell asserted.
“This time, the so-called NYT—and all other Fake News that repeat their garbage—are enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former employees as the sole sources for their article,” he said, adding, “They relied only on the words of people who were fired this week and appear to have a motive to sabotage the Secretary and the President’s agenda.”
Parnell insisted no actual breach had occurred, stating, “What is true is that the Office of the Secretary of Defence is continuing to become stronger and more efficient in executing President Trump’s agenda. We’ve already achieved so much for the American warfighter and will never back down.”
The initial alleged leak, involving top administration figures including Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, is currently under review by the Pentagon’s acting inspector general.
The latest controversy comes on the heels of a significant shake-up within the Pentagon, with four members of Hegseth’s inner circle—including his former press secretary, John Ullyot—relieved of duty in the past week amidst a widening investigation into alleged unauthorised disclosures.
In a statement, Ullyot voiced concern over the process, saying, “At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with.”
The growing turmoil within the Defence Department has triggered criticism from within and outside government, with opposition figures questioning whether Hegseth's continued leadership compromises operational integrity.
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