Pentagon watchdog to probe Pete Hegseth over leaked Signal chat on Yemen war plan
The Pentagon inspector general's office will investigate Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of commercial messaging app Signal to discuss air strikes on Yemen, a memo released Thursday said.
FollowThe Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DOD) has launched an investigation into Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive military operations in Yemen. The probe follows a bipartisan request from the Senate Armed Services Committee after allegations surfaced that classified intelligence regarding US airstrikes in Yemen had been shared in a Signal group chat that included a journalist.
The investigation aims to assess compliance with classification and records retention requirements, which may have been circumvented by a disappearing message timer set on the chat. According to a memo announcing the probe, investigators will determine "the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DOD personnel complied with DOD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business."
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, a Republican, and ranking Democrat Jack Reed urged the investigation upon learning that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had been included in a Signal chat discussing Yemen operations.
“This chat was alleged to have included classified information pertaining to sensitive military actions in Yemen,” the senators wrote in their request. “If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know.”
This isn't The Matrix: Goldberg speaks out
The controversy recently escalated after Goldberg dismissed an explanation by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz regarding how he was added to the chat. Waltz suggested that Goldberg’s contact was “sucked in” to the chat due to another individual’s contact list.
“This isn’t The Matrix,” Goldberg told NBC’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press. “Phone numbers don’t just get sucked into other phones. I don’t know what he’s talking about there.”
Goldberg continued, “Very frequently in journalism, the most obvious explanation is the explanation. My phone number was in his phone because my phone number is in his phone.”
Goldberg and The Atlantic published details of the chat on March 24, revealing discussions among senior Trump administration officials about an imminent US strike on Houthi positions in Yemen. The disclosures raised concerns in Washington regarding the security protocols of key administration figures and whether the messages constituted a breach of national security.
US President Donald Trump defended Waltz, denying reports that the national security adviser had offered to resign. “No, he didn’t,” Trump said. “There was no reason for him to.”
Trump added, “Waltz is a very good man, and he will continue to do a good job.”
Goldberg, however, challenged Waltz’s claims that they had never met or communicated. “Waltz is telling everyone that he’s never met me or spoken to me – that’s simply not true.”
Waltz previously stated in a White House meeting that he had “never met” Goldberg. “There’s a lot of journalists … who have made big names for themselves making up lies about this president,” Waltz said. Referring to Goldberg, he added, “This one in particular I’ve never met, don’t know, never communicated with, and we are looking into and reviewing how the heck he got into this room.”
The National Security Council (NSC) has confirmed the authenticity of the messages and is investigating how Goldberg was added to the group. Possible explanations range from an accidental selection of his contact, a misattributed phone number, or intentional sabotage.
Goldberg, however, dismissed the theories. “This has become a somewhat farcical situation. There’s no subterfuge here. My number was in his phone. He mistakenly added me to the group chat. There we go.”
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