A new Pentagon watchdog report concluded that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth seriously risked the lives of American troops carrying out strikes on Houthis in Yemen earlier in 2025. The report finds that Hegseth’s use of the Signal app could have endangered the lives and mission in the Red Sea.
The Pentagon watchdog released the review to lawmakers on Wednesday, stating Hegseth had mistakenly shared the classified information with journalists during a group chat on the app. He is also under investigation for allegedly ordering strikes in the Caribbean that killed Venezuelan and Colombian fishermen.
While some have defended his position, saying Hegseth did not violate the rules, since his position as Pentagon chief allows him to declassify the information.
However, others accuse him of risking the lives of US soldiers for recklessly sharing information on the commercial app. According to Pentagon sources, when asked to sit down for an interview with one of the lead investigators (Inspector General), he declined and rather gave answers in writing.
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The screenshots of him sharing the information were first released by The Atlantic magazine, whose editor-in-chief was accidentally added to the Signal chat, they said.
Responding to the report, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the findings reaffirm the Trump administration's claims that “no classified information was leaked during the Yemen operation.” "President Trump stands by Secretary Hegseth," Leavitt said in a statement on Wednesday.
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