President Donald Trump is facing mounting pressure to dismiss his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth after revelations he shared sensitive military information about strikes in Yemen with his wife and brother.
Hegseth, who has been in the role for less than 90 days, reportedly sent details of US military operations to a 13-person Signal group chat that included family members.
The controversy marks the latest in a series of leaks that have plunged the Pentagon into what one former official described as "total disarray".
NBC News confirmed that Hegseth used his personal phone to share information about US military operations in Yemen in a Signal chat with 13 people, including his wife and brother.
President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
Reuters
This revelation comes just a month after a previous incident where Hegseth inadvertently shared details of strikes in Yemen in a separate Signal chat that accidentally included a journalist.
According to reports, Hegseth also allowed his wife to sit in on sensitive meetings with foreign officials.
John Ullyot, who resigned last week as chief Pentagon spokesman, has issued a stark warning about Hegseth's leadership.
In an op-ed for Politico, Ullyot described the Defence Department as being in "total chaos" and "full-blown meltdown" under Hegseth.
LATEST NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll event
Reuters
John Ullyot resigned last week
Getty
"It's been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon," wrote Ullyot, who has served in several roles within Trump's orbit.
He predicted that Hegseth would soon be out of a job and warned that "even bigger bombshell stories" about the Defence Secretary were imminent. Despite the controversy, Trump is standing firmly by his Defence Secretary, telling reporters Hegseth was "doing a great job".
"He was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people. And that is what he is doing," Trump said on Monday. Hegseth has dismissed criticism as a conspiracy against him, claiming the leaks were retaliation for his efforts to reshape the department.
"What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and a bunch of hit pieces come out," Hegseth said during a White House Easter celebration.
President Donald Trump
Reuters
The upheaval comes amid a wider purge of national security officials by the Trump administration, reaching every level of military leadership. Three senior leaders were recently forced out at the Defence Department amid an investigation into leaks.
Among those dismissed was Dan Caldwell, a longtime colleague who became one of Hegseth's most trusted advisors.
A US defence official told reporters the confusion surrounding the Pentagon's leadership was eroding the institution's ability to function effectively.
Another official said the firings had created a climate of uncertainty within the Pentagon.
Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin has called for Hegseth to resign
Getty
Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin has called for Hegseth to resign.
"Hegseth has turned the Pentagon into a place of chaos," Slotkin said. "If he cared about the institution he's leading, he should man up, acknowledge he's a distraction to the military's mission, and resign."
