US Defence Secy Hegseth shared Yemen war plans with wife, brother in Signal chat
Reports said the second chat had the same warplane launch times that the first included – classified operational details which, when leaked, could jeopardise lives of pilots
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother, where he shared similar details of a March military airstrike against Yemen's Houthi militants that were sent in another chain with top Trump administration leaders, The New York Times reported.
A person familiar with the contents and those who received the messages, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed the second chat to The Associated Press.
‘Defence team huddle’
The second chat on Signal — which is a commercially available app not authorised to be used to communicate sensitive or classified national defense information — included 13 people, the person said. They also confirmed the chat was dubbed “Defense' Team Huddle.”
According to the NYT report, the group included Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, who is a former Fox News producer, and his brother Phil Hegseth, who was hired at the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison and senior adviser. Both have travelled with the defense secretary and attended high-level meetings.
Also read: No war plans texted on Signal, asserts US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
Democrats demand Hegseth’s sacking
The revelation of the additional chat group brought fresh criticism against Hegseth and President Donald Trump's wider administration after it has failed to take action so far against the top national security officials who discussed plans for the military strike in Signal.
“The details keep coming out. We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. But Trump is still too weak to fire him,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X. “Pete Hegseth must be fired.”
Second such incident
The first chat, set up by national security adviser Mike Waltz, included a number of Cabinet members and came to light because Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was added to the group.
The contents of that chat, which The Atlantic published, shows that Hegseth listed weapons systems and a timeline for the attack on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen last month.
Also read: Trump says he won't 'fire people' over Signal messages
Chat revealed warplane launch times
The White House, the National Security Council, and a Pentagon spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment about the additional chat group.
Hegseth has previously contended that no classified information or war plans were shared in the chat with the journalist.
The Times reported on Sunday that the second chat had the same warplane launch times that the first chat included. Multiple former and current officials have said sharing those operational details before a strike would have certainly been classified and their release could have put pilots in danger.
Probe underway
Hegseth's use of Signal and the sharing of such plans are under investigation by the Defense Department's acting inspector general. It came at the request of the leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee — Republican Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi and ranking Democratic member Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
The new revelations come amid further turmoil at the Pentagon. Four officials in Hegseth's inner circle departed last week as the Pentagon conducts a widespread investigation for information leaks.
Also read: US airstrikes targeting Yemeni oil port kills 20, leaves 50 injured
Dan Caldwell, a Hegseth aide; Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg; and Darin Selnick, Hegseth's deputy chief of staff, were escorted out of the Pentagon.
While the three initially had been placed on leave pending the investigation, a joint statement shared by Caldwell on X on Saturday said the three "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." Caldwell was the staff member designated as Hegseth's point person in the Signal chat with Trump Cabinet members.
Also read; The Atlantic releases Signal 'chat' on Yemen attack; mentions warplane launches, bombings
Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot also announced he was resigning last week, unrelated to the leaks. The Pentagon said, however, that Ullyot was asked to resign.
(With inputs from agencies)