President Donald Trump publicly reaffirmed his full confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, despite growing controversy over Hegseth’s use of the unclassified Signal messaging app to share sensitive details about a U.S. military strike on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Trump’s remarks followed a report revealing that this was the second instance in which Hegseth used Signal to discuss classified operations. The most recent incident involved a private message thread that included his wife, brother, personal attorney, and other close associates—raising serious concerns about the security of high-level military communications.
“Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him,” Trump told reporters. When asked if he still had confidence in Hegseth despite the disclosure, the President responded: “Oh, totally.”
According to a Reuters investigation, Hegseth’s latest Signal chat included approximately a dozen participants and was initially created to coordinate administrative matters during his confirmation process. Nonetheless, it eventually included sensitive details about a planned U.S. strike on the Houthis in March—details that mirrored those leaked in April in a separate Signal thread involving journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who was reportedly added by mistake.
Among those in the second chat was Hegseth’s brother, a current Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Pentagon. A source familiar with the matter said Hegseth had previously been cautioned about the use of unsecured platforms like Signal to share classified or operationally sensitive information.
Despite the warnings, the Defense Secretary again used Signal—this time, while under confirmation scrutiny—adding further pressure to a Pentagon already reeling from a high-profile internal leak investigation.
Speaking outside the White House, Hegseth brushed off calls for his resignation and accused both the media and former Pentagon staff of orchestrating a smear campaign.
“I have spoken to the President, and we are going to continue fighting on the same page all the way,” he said, emphasizing that his commitment to Trump’s defense priorities remains unshaken.
Although Hegseth narrowly won Senate confirmation—amid opposition from Democrats and skepticism from some Republicans—calls for his resignation have escalated. At least seven Senate Democrats have publicly stated he is unfit for office given the recurrence of his misuse of unsecured messaging platforms.
Republicans, however, have remained largely silent. With the GOP maintaining control of both the House and Senate, no Republican lawmakers have yet called for Hegseth to step down.
The latest revelations follow a dramatic week of upheaval within the Department of Defense. Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth’s closest advisers and the designated point man in the initial Signal group, was escorted from the Pentagon after being implicated in the internal leak investigation.
“We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended,” Caldwell posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday. “Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.”
Caldwell’s departure triggered a chain reaction. Darin Selnick, who had recently been promoted to deputy chief of staff, and Colin Carroll, who served as chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, were both placed on administrative leave and fired Friday.
Adding fuel to the controversy, former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot authored an op-ed in POLITICO Magazine condemning Hegseth’s leadership. Ullyot accused Hegseth’s inner circle of spreading unverified and damaging rumors about three top officials who were dismissed last week, suggesting the Pentagon was increasingly divided under his leadership.
Despite the turmoil, Hegseth remains closely aligned with Trump’s defense agenda. He has advocated for aggressive troop deployments to the southern border, pushed NATO allies to boost defense spending, and criticized what he calls the “woke agenda” in military training and recruitment.
Trump, known for demanding unwavering loyalty from his defense chiefs, has replaced several secretaries during his two administrations. Yet Hegseth, viewed as ideologically aligned and politically reliable, appears to have retained the President’s backing for now—even as scrutiny intensifies.
As the Pentagon leak probe continues and public pressure mounts, it remains to be seen whether Hegseth can weather the storm—especially with his own digital footprint at the center of national security concerns.
