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.
- ·对男朋友失望心寒的文案 很难受的又伤心的句子
- ·2025年生物医学奖公开提名
- ·人教版七年级上册六单元作文：人类起源概说
- ·宝丽来全新拍立得 Flip，只为非数字化生活
- ·2014伤感qq个性签名大全超拽 空气里都有一种甜蜜的味道
- ·第二次大限又过！中国足球的清欠真相也即将出炉
- ·(荐)期中考试个人总结15篇
- ·张雨绮婚讯公开 感恩关心收获祝福
- ·英伟达4090D卖疯了 翻新价5500美元
- ·宝丽来全新拍立得 Flip，只为非数字化生活
- ·《我的世界大电影》发布多张角色海报 方块生物集体亮相奇趣满满
- ·2023年山西中小学招生政策
- ·戴尔科技以全栈创新解决方案智领行业新未来
- ·大秦：儿子对比，嬴政酸了
- ·国家防总启动防汛四级应急响应 派工作组赴广西协助指导
- ·数说大湾区｜把2400件广交会展品做成卡片后，我们发现……