Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes back against new group chat allegations
- Comments
Secretary Hegseth dismisses new group chat allegations: 'None of this is based in reality'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joins 'Fox & Friends' to respond to new group chat allegations, why Pentagon officials were placed on leave amid a leak investigation and one former official's criticism of his leadership at the DOD.
Join Fox News for access to this content You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back against a New York Times report alleging he had shared sensitive details involving a military airstrike against the Iran-backed Houthisin Yemen in a second Signal message chat that included his wife and brother, telling "Fox & Friends" Tuesday that the controversy is an attempt to "sabotage" President Donald Trump's agenda.
"If you remember… I said no one is texting war plans. I said that because I'm in the bowels of the Pentagon every single day… what was shared over Signal then [during the first leak] and now was informal, unclassified coordinations for media coordination [and] other things," he told co-host Brian Kilmeade.
"At the beginning, it was left-wing reporters at The Atlantic who got hold of it and then wanted to create a problem for the president," he continued.
"That's what it's all about. Trying to get at President Trump and his agenda."
HEGSETH SHARED DETAILS OF YEMEN STRIKES IN SECOND SIGNAL CHAT: REPORT
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on before a luncheon with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Cabinet Room of the White House, in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2025. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP)
Hegseth accused "disgruntled former employees" of "trying to save their a--" by peddling stories, arguing that the mainstream media's focus should instead be on "the decimation of the Houthis, how [the U.S. is] pushing back the Chinese, how we have a new defense area at the southern border."
"That's unfortunate," he said. "It's not what I do. It's not how we operate, so you've got another allegation being pushed again. Not based on how we're operating around here. We're for the war fighters, we're for the president, and none of this is based in reality."
Three top Pentagon officials were placed on administrative leave last week as part of the ongoing Defense Department leak investigation.
Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, was escorted out of the building last Wednesday, following Dan Caldwell, senior advisor to Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff to Hegseth.
ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS
Pentagon employees Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick have been placed on leave amid an ongoing leak investigation. (Fox & Friends)
On Friday evening, those three employees were fired, two defense officials confirmed to Fox News Digital.
"If we think you are leaking to the press, that's a very real problem. We take that very seriously at the Pentagon," Hegseth said.
"I'm here to do one job. One job for the president and the American people. Secure the country. America first. Peace through strength. I don't have time for leakers. I don't have time for the hoax press that peddles old stories from disgruntled employees."
Other moves are happening at the Pentagon. Joe Kasper, Hegseth's chief of staff, will be leaving his position for a different role within the department.
- ·'Scary Movie' star rips cancel culture, says 'real comedians' reject it
- ·抖音保存下来的视频怎么去掉抖音号 18183手机游戏网
- ·历针：先保后送 世界第一申真谞被六脉神剑带走！
- ·快手怎么提现 18183手机游戏网
- ·儿时的记忆泉州小吃——猪油粕
- ·从濒临灭绝到数量回升，黑脸琵鹭保护工作取得显著成效
- ·青马课堂：马术盛装舞步场地边上的字母有何作用？
- ·开学第一课，法治护成长
- ·云南马术骑手俞竣雄：拿到二青会金牌让2019成为我的幸运年
- ·开学第一课，法治护成长
- ·Stray Kids日本单曲二辑获得日本唱片协会"白金"认证
- ·令食欲大增的开胃爽口菜：肉末粉丝拌黄瓜
- ·世界冠军刘诗雯现身泸州老窖乒乓球加油BAR 与球迷共赴乒乓趣味盛宴
- ·心疼到抑郁的个性签名 催人泪目的伤感的签名
- ·过去30年最差！曼联近8名主力门将数据对比 奥纳纳创新低
- ·抖音怎么收藏音乐 18183手机游戏网