The Secretary of Defense, Pete Heghseth, firmly denied that what he shared in a second group chat in the signal messaging application was classified from the war plans about the imminent US air attacks aimed at huti militants in Yemen, and blamed former employees for filtering them, accusing them of going to the media with new information to “Sabotage” Trump
Hegseth and other administration officials have insisted that information on the air attacks that was previously shared with another group of signals established by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was not classified.
On Tuesday, Hegesh continued making that case as questions have been asked about how he shared similar information with a smaller group of signals that the sources told ABC News included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
“I look at the war plans every day. What was shared on the signal at that time and now, as characterized, it was an informal coordination not classified for the coordination of the media other things. That is what I have said from the beginning,” Hegseth said in a live interview of the Pentagon about “Fox Fox in” Fox & Friends.”
The familiar sources with the chat had previously said to ABC News that Hegseth had established the group of signals with family and friends during his Senate confirmation process. Hegesh was not asked in the interview why he had shared the information with that group of nearby personal advisors that included his wife, who is not an employee of the United States government.
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, arrives at the Southern White House for the Easter egg of the White House, on April 21, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
The Secretary of Defense also criticized former close advisors dismissed last week as part of what he said was a leak investigation that followed the news reports about military plans for the Panama Canal, Elon Musk’s planned visit to Pentagon and other developments.
“It led some unfortunate places, people I have met for quite some time, but it is not my job to protect them,” Hegseth said. “It is my work to protect national security as the president of the United States and let the investigation go where it is. So, when that evidence meets enough, and all this has happened very quickly, it will be delivered to the Department of Justice, and those people will be processed if necessary.”
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, speaks on the South of the White House lawyer before President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump participate in the Easter egg roll of the White House, on April 21, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
The former employees include Dan Caldwell, a nearby advisor to Hegseth, Darin Selnick, who was the deputy director of the Pentagon Cabinet of the triumph of the triumph administration for the Pentagon Pentagon.
“Those people who are dripping, who have been expelled from the building, now try to filter and sabotage the president’s agenda and what we are doing, and that is unfortunate,” said Hegesh.
“Then, once a filter, she is always a filter, often a filter, so we look for leaks, because we take it very seriously, and we will do the investigation,” Hegseth said.
At the same time, Hegseth left open the possibility that the ongoing investigation would exonerate the same people he was accusing.
“If those people are exonerated, fantastic,” said Hegseth. “We do not believe, based on what we understand, that it will be a good day for several of those people due to what was found in the investigation.”
Monday, in a Video interview with Tucker CarlsonCaldwell strongly denied having leaked information and said that he and the other two officials did not know why they had been dismissed.
“At this time, we have not yet told us exactly why they investigated us, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with,” they said in a joint statement in X on April 19.
Also on Monday, Hegseth blamed “anonymous smear” and President Donald Trump dismissed any concern, said he has “great confidence” in Hegseth.
“Here we go again. Just a waste of time. He’s doing a great job,” Trump said about Hegseth.
The recent revelations of the new group of signals and the dismissal of the main advisors have raised doubts about Hegseth’s trial among a large number of Congress Democrats who have asked Hegseth to resign from his position.
On Monday, representative Don Bacon de Nebraska, and a former Air Force general, became the first Republican to suggest that Hegseth should be eliminated as Secretary of Defense.
“If it is true that he had another conversation with his family, about the missions against the hutis, it is totally unacceptable,” “,” is totally unacceptable, ” He told Politic.
“It seems that there is a collapse,” Bacon said. “There is a lot, a lot, smoke coming out of the pentagon, and I could believe that there is some fire there somewhere.”
On Tuesday, Hegseth said that the critics of his pentagon agenda “came after the first day,” but said that their approach would remain in carrying out their goals in the Pentagon.
“I am here because President Trump asked me to bring war to Pentagon every day,” Hegseth said.
“That is our approach, and if people don’t like people, they can come after me. Don’t worry. I’m standing here,” Hegseth said. “The warriors are behind us. Our enemies know they are in warning. Our allies know that we are behind them, and that in this dangerous world for the American people is what it is about.”
“No, I have not fallen, and I will not blink because this work is too big and too important for the American people,” he said.
