Pentagon Watchdog: Hegseth’s Signal Use Endangered Troops/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A Pentagon watchdog report has concluded that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth endangered U.S. personnel by using the Signal app to share sensitive military strike details. The investigation, now under review by Congress, found no illegal declassification, but serious operational risks. The incident, part of the broader “Signalgate” scandal, has intensified bipartisan scrutiny.
Hegseth Signal Scandal Quick Looks
- Pentagon Inspector General finds Pete Hegseth endangered U.S. troops via Signal app
- Shared exact times for warplane launches and bomb strikes in Yemen
- Review submitted to lawmakers for classified and public review
- Report stops short of accusing Hegseth of illegal declassification
- Hegseth used Signal to coordinate with top officials, family members
- Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a Signal chat
- Congress already probing another deadly strike Hegseth allegedly authorized
- Lawmakers alarmed by reported “kill everybody” verbal order in Caribbean incident
- Public release of redacted watchdog report expected later this week
- Increased calls for accountability from both parties in Washington
Deep Look: Hegseth Under Fire After Pentagon Watchdog Flags Risky Use of Signal
WASHINGTON — A new report by the Pentagon’s inspector general has found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth jeopardized the safety of U.S. personnel and military missions by using the Signal messaging app to share highly sensitive details about military operations, according to two sources familiar with the findings.
The classified report, delivered to Congress this week, reviewed Hegseth’s use of commercial messaging platforms to communicate exact timelines of a U.S. military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. Although the report did not accuse Hegseth of illegally declassifying information, it concluded that his actions posed a serious operational risk, the sources told the Associated Press.
Signal Messaging and “Signalgate”
The watchdog’s investigation was triggered by Hegseth’s controversial use of Signal, a secure but unofficial app, to discuss time-sensitive military operations — including exact warplane launch times and bomb drop schedules — before missions were executed.
This digital trail of information came to light when Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a Signal group chat by then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The chat included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, among others — all discussing a planned March 15 strike on Iran-backed Houthis.
The Pentagon Inspector General (IG) opened its investigation in April following calls from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to probe Hegseth’s unorthodox and possibly reckless communication practices, now dubbed “Signalgate.”
Report Delivered, Public Version Coming
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee received the full, classified IG report this week and reviewed it in a secure location at the Capitol. A redacted public version of the findings is expected to be released by the end of the week, increasing transparency around one of the most serious internal security concerns under the Trump administration.
Pressure Mounts on Hegseth
The Signal revelations come as Hegseth already faces scrutiny over a separate military action in the Caribbean Sea. Reports allege that he ordered a second strike on survivors of a suspected drug-smuggling boat in September, allegedly instructing forces to “kill everybody.” Lawmakers from both parties have launched investigations into that incident as well.
The combination of the Signal controversy and suspected war crimes is rapidly escalating political and legal pressure on the former Fox News host turned defense chief. Calls for his resignation have intensified, particularly among Democratic members of Congress.
Casual Use of Sensitive Channels
In addition to the group chat that inadvertently included Goldberg, the AP has confirmed that Hegseth also created a second Signal group of 13 individuals, which reportedly included his wife and brother. He allegedly shared similar operational details of the March 15 strike in that chat, raising further concerns about chain-of-command protocol breaches and information security.
The Pentagon watchdog’s findings underscore the risk of using unsecured or unauthorized apps for operational communications — even those encrypted for privacy — due to the potential for leaks, miscommunication, or compromised missions.
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