Hegseth Faces Scrutiny as Pentagon Turmoil Grows

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire again after sharing sensitive military plans in Signal chats — this time including his wife, brother, and lawyer.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, via X

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire again after sharing sensitive military plans in another private Signal chat — this time including his wife, brother, and lawyer in the chat.

Another Signal Chat Emerges

Former Defense Department officials say Secretary Hegseth shared operational plans on a private Signal chat that included his wife, brother, and lawyer, none of whom held roles relevant to the operation.

CNN and The New York Times report this second chat was separate from the one Hegseth used to brief Cabinet members and is now part of an inspector general investigation. (CNN)

Fired Aides Push Back

Hegseth recently fired three top aides and reassigned his chief of staff — a wave of personnel turmoil that followed internal leak investigations and accusations of backstabbing.

John Ullyot, a former aide to Hegseth who recently resigned, along with three fired senior officials, deny leaking any information and say Hegseth acted based on paranoia and dysfunction, not facts. “The president deserves better than the current mishegoss at the Pentagon,” Ullyot wrote in a blistering Politico op-ed. (Politico)

White House Dismisses ‘Non-Story’

Despite pressure from lawmakers, the White House is brushing off the controversy. “No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared,” said Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly. “Recently-fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda.” (The Independent)

Leaked chats. Fired aides. Rising scrutiny.

📬 In today’s Pro Brief, we unpack the fallout from the Hegseth scandal and what it means for the Pentagon’s chain of command:

• The second Signal chat: what Hegseth shared, and who saw it

• Who Hegseth fired and what they’re saying now

• How this crisis complicates ongoing military campaigns in Yemen and beyond

• Is President Trump standing by Hegseth, or has the White House already begun searching for a new Secretary of Defense?

Even insiders like Ullyot are calling this “a full-blown meltdown.” What happens if one the president’s closest loyalists becomes his biggest distraction?

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