Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is under fire after a magazine editor was added to a group chat where top Trump administration officials were discussing military plans.
The Atlantic’s editor Jeffrey Goldberg reported Monday that he was added to a chat titled “Houthi PC small group” on the encrypted messaging app Signal earlier this month. Throughout that week, people with user names corresponding to top Trump officials like Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, discussed the positives and negatives of going after Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, Goldberg wrote. He said hours before the U.S. launched a wave of strikes targeting the Houthis, Hegseth sent details about the strikes
The White House confirmed the contents of the chat appear to be authentic.
Hegseth denied that he was texting about war plans, criticized Goldberg as “deceitful,” and declined to comment further on the leak while talking to reporters Monday in Hawaii.
But this is not the first time Hegseth has faced controversy. Here is what to know about him.Pete Hegseth controversy explained: What to know amid backlash to Trump’s Defense pick
Who is Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense?
President Donald Trump raised eyebrows when he named Hegseth, as his Defense secretary pick, as he broke the tradition of filling the position with Pentagon chiefs with long resumes in government.
Hegseth, 44, worked with Fox News from 2014 until he left following the news of his nomination. Hegseth joined the Army ROTC in college and was deployed overseas with the Army National Guard after graduating, according to a 2022 article in Reserve + National Guard Magazine
Throughout his nomination, Hegseth faced prior allegations of sexual assault, public drinking and abusive treatment towards women. Three Republicans voted against him, but he still gained enough support to be confirmed.
Since taking up his position, Hegseth has followed in Trump’s wake by targeting diversity, equity and inclusion in the military.
