Pentagon Watchdog Says Hegseth Risked Troops’ Safety by Using Signal

A new report by the Department of Defense’s Inspector General has concluded that Pete Hegseth violated Pentagon rules and endangered U.S. personnel when he used the commercial messaging app Signal earlier this year to share sensitive operational details about a strike against Houthi militants in Yemen.

According to people familiar with the investigation, the chat included “strike-window” timing, launch times for aircraft and missiles, and even the moment when bombs would hit. Some of those messages were reportedly sent before pilots took off. The Signal groupchat included senior officials, and, critically, a journalist was accidentally invited, exposing operational details to someone outside national security clearance.

Though Hegseth retains broad declassification authority, the IG found no clear documentation that the information had been properly declassified before being shared. Using a personal device and an unauthorized platform for real-time war-planning violates Pentagon communications and security policy, the report says.

Defense Department officials have reportedly already transmitted the classified version of the report to Congress. An unclassified, publicly released version is expected within days.

The findings raise tough questions about whether top political appointees are bound by the same operational standards as frontline commanders. Some veterans and career intelligence officials argue this creates a two-tiered system of accountability: one for civilians in suits, another for men and women in uniform who follow strict communication and clearance protocols.