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.
- ·《老人与海》读后感 3
- ·苏州彩友喜中大乐透51万:购彩如同解数学题
- ·小学校园安全工作汇报
- ·儿童节特别活动“苗苗成长记”举行 充满知识性、趣味性、创造性
- ·立邦荣获上海气候周"气候灯塔2025年度制造优秀案例"
- ·对着木板踢球的小镇姑娘，成为了皇马队史第一人
- ·语文教研组工作汇报范文
- ·三大指数开盘涨跌不一
- ·马斯克：没有兴趣收购TikTok 自己也不用TikTok
- ·TCL续约FIBA国际篮联，彼此成就开启无限可能
- ·抖音图片怎么制作 18183手机游戏网
- ·2024微伤的高级emo签名 读起来心凉凉的签名
- ·李彦宏：DeepSeek不是万能 存在幻觉多速度慢等痛点
- ·小兔温尼想换个地方睡觉
- ·粤港澳大湾区港口群“内通外联”提速“一带一路”经贸合作
- ·小兔温尼想换个地方睡觉