Pete Hegseth, the Trump-appointed Secretary of Defense, ran core Pentagon operations through Signal chats in “at least a dozen separate times,” ccording to a Wall Street Journal report that paints a damning portrait of his management style and disregard for secure government communication protocols.
The Journal cites unnamed sources “familiar with his management practices” who say Hegseth routinely bypassed official Pentagon channels, choosing instead to operate through Signal, a private messaging app known for its encryption. He reportedly “preferred to run the Defense Department’s day-to-day operations” via the app.
The scope of what Hegseth pushed through these Signal threads is staggering. “In one case, he told aides on the encrypted app to inform foreign governments about an unfolding military operation,” the Journal reported. Sources also told the paper he used the app to coordinate media appearances, arrange foreign travel, manage his schedule, and discuss other “unclassified but sensitive information.”
In March, the situation exploded into public view. Hegseth was found to be part of a Signal chat where senior Trump administration officials were discussing military strikes on Yemen. The chat gained unwanted attention when The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to the group.
The backlash was swift. The Pentagon’s acting inspector general opened an investigation into Hegseth’s use of the “unclassified commercially available application” for discussions involving sensitive military matters.
But the recklessness didn’t stop there. In April, Hegseth faced further scrutiny after reports emerged that he had shared details about the same Yemen bombing campaign in another Signal group—this time, with members of his own family.
Adding to the chaos, sources say Hegseth went so far as to install Signal on multiple Pentagon computers in defiance of a ban on personal devices inside secure areas.
Read the entire report at The Wall Street Journal.
