Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought his wife to meetings with foreign military leaders where “sensitive information was discussed,” which defense officials are calling “a major breach of protocol,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
Jennifer Hegseth, a former Fox News producer, attended two important meetings with her husband. One was with the U.K. Secretary of Defense in March, and the other was a NATO meeting in Brussels in February.
The report says attendees of the meetings didn’t know who Jennifer Hegseth was.
While spouses may occasionally receive low-level security clearances, it’s highly unusual — and seen as a major breach of protocol — for them to be allowed in on high-stakes national security meetings, according to current and former defense officials.
This news follows reports about a journalist being accidentally added to a Signal chat group for White House officials, where the defense secretary shared details about plans to bomb Yemen.
Hegseth’s brother, Philip Hegseth, who works at the Department of Homeland Security, was also traveling with the secretary, WSJ reported.
