"Created a risk": IG report says Hegseth's use of Signal could have put troops in harm's way

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny over a potential breach in operational security, with an inspector general report concluding that his use of the encrypted messaging app Signal posed a risk to US servicemembers.

The report found that Hegseth shared sensitive details about planned strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen with two Signal groups, including one containing his wife and brother. Investigators determined that while no classified information was compromised, Hegseth's actions still created a risk to operational security, which could have resulted in failed mission objectives and harm to US pilots.

The watchdog noted that Hegseth declined to be interviewed and provided only limited responses, forcing investigators to rely on previously published screenshots. The Defense Secretary argued that he had the authority to declassify the information shared and suggested the probe was politically motivated.

However, Pentagon leadership has downplayed the findings, with Sean Parnell describing the review as a "total exoneration." In contrast, Democratic lawmakers have expressed outrage, citing staggering policy violations and concerns about Hegseth's fitness for office.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) described Hegseth as "incompetent" and criticized his handling of sensitive information, while Sen. Mark Kelly stated that Hegseth should not be using an unofficial app to transmit such details. The report comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding Hegseth's tenure, including a series of personnel purges and intense criticism of his management style.

The incident raises questions about the Pentagon's security protocols and the use of personal devices for official business. As Hegseth faces increased scrutiny over his handling of sensitive information, lawmakers are likely to push for greater transparency and accountability in the Department of Defense.

this is so not cool... defense sec is basically playing with fire by sharing classified info on an unofficial app like Signal? i get that he's a busy guy, but you can't just wing it like this! how are we supposed to trust him to handle sensitive stuff when he can't even be bothered to use official channels? and what's with the lack of transparency from the Pentagon leadership? if they're really saying that the review is a total exoneration, then why not provide more details? it just smells like cover-up to me...

I'm literally shook by this news ! The numbers on operational security breaches are insane... according to a 2020 report, there were over 30,000 unauthorized device connections to classified networks . And let's not forget the 2019 data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which exposed sensitive info on millions of Americans . We need better protocols in place ASAP! The fact that Hegseth shared sensitive details with his family members via an unofficial app is just mind-boggling... did you know that the average employee uses their personal device for 22% more work-related activities than expected? It's clear we need to overhaul our security measures, stat!

this is so messed up... i mean, think about it, the defense secretary is sharing sensitive info with his family on a private app? that's like, totally not secure... and now they're saying he's incompetent? i get why the democrats are upset but what really bothers me is the lack of transparency from the pentagon. if hegseth wouldn't cooperate with the investigation, how can we trust him to make decisions about national security? it's all about accountability at this point and i think lawmakers have every right to push for better security protocols... we need to know that our military leaders are taking this stuff seriously

Ugh, Signal this and another encrypted app being used by high-level officials... what's next? I'm not buying that Hegseth just declassified everything he shared and it wasn't a big deal. If he thought sharing sensitive info with his wife and brother was no sweat, something's seriously wrong. And yeah, the lack of transparency from him is super annoying. It's like, come on, SecDef, be honest for once.

I don't get why some folks are making such a big deal about this, though. I mean, it's not like he leaked classified info or anything... although, technically, sharing sensitive details with his family might've been a risk to ops security. Still, the fact that he declined an IG interview and only gave vague responses? That doesn't sit well with me. And those lawmakers are right on point, imo – we need more accountability at the DoD.

I mean, this is a big deal... Signal, right? It's like, a secure messaging app, but apparently, it's not that secure if you're using it to share sensitive info with your wife and bro . I get it, we all wanna stay connected, but come on, Pete, use a government-issued phone or something! The fact that he just shrugged it off and said it was no big deal is super concerning. I mean, the report says it's not about the info itself, but more about the risk of operational security... that can lead to bad things happening on the battlefield .

It's also weird that Pentagon leadership is downplaying this whole thing... like, what's going on there? And these lawmakers are hella upset... I don't blame them. It's just basic responsibility when it comes to handling sensitive info. I'm kinda curious to see how this all plays out... will we get more transparency and accountability at the Pentagon?

I mean, come on! The Defense Secretary can't even be bothered to use an actual government-issued phone? Signal is like, a free app or something... How hard is it to use official comms channels?! And now his wife and brother are in the loop with sensitive info? That's just reckless. And what's up with not being interviewed? That's just dodgy. This whole thing is just a mess.

I'm thinking... this is a big deal, you know? The Defence Secretary using Signal to share info with his family? It's like, personal business shouldn't be on the same apps as work stuff. What if someone hacks into his phone or his wife's phone and gets that sensitive info out? That would be super bad.

And I don't get why he didn't just use official channels for this sort of thing. You'd think it's common sense to keep your family's business separate from your work life. It's like, you've got one set of rules for personal stuff and another for work.

I also wonder what happened with his interview with the IG... did he just not want to answer questions? Either way, it seems like he's not being super transparent about this whole thing.

The Pentagon's security protocols are already under fire, so I don't think they can just downplay this one and say everything is fine. It's like, you've got to take responsibility for these sorts of mistakes.

.. this is so worrying I can imagine how stressful it must be for Pete Hegseth right now. He's already under a lot of pressure with all the controversies surrounding his tenure, and now this comes up again? It's crazy that he shared sensitive info with his wife and brother on an encrypted app like Signal - what if they got hacked or something? And it's even crazier that some lawmakers are saying he should be removed from office... I just feel so bad for him, you know? He's a public figure now, and with great power comes great responsibility

This guy gotta be outta his mind . Signal app? Really? Who uses that stuff? Shouldn't he know better than to risk US servicemembers' lives like that? I mean, what's next? Sharing cat pics with the enemy? The Pentagon needs to get its act together and tighten up security protocols ASAP. And yeah, this whole situation is just peachy . Lawmakers need to hold him accountable for his actions, period.

omg this is like so serious! i cant believe he shared sensitive info with his fam on an encrypted app Signal? thats like a major no-no! i mean i get that he might think he's above it all but honestly its just reckless and puts lives at risk. i'm not surprised the dems are going ballistic over this...Rep Adam Smith is spot on about him being incompetent

I'm getting worried about our Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth . Apparently he was sharing some pretty serious info with his wife and bro on this Signal app ... which is not exactly secure, right? I mean, I get that he might have thought it was safe or whatever, but still, that's a big no-no when it comes to keeping secrets . And now lawmakers are all like "whoa, this guy's got some serious issues" ... and honestly, I think they're right. The Pentagon needs to step up its security protocols and make sure people aren't sharing sensitive info on personal devices . This whole thing is just a bit too much for me... can we trust him to protect us?

omg I'm literally dying over this Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharing sensitive deets about planned strikes on Houthi targets with his own fam?! what is he even thinking?? like, come on dude, you can't just share classified info with your wife and brother, that's a huge no-no! and now lawmakers are all up in arms, saying he's incompetent and should not be using an unofficial app to transmit sensitive info... I'm Team Signal no more, btw

I'm low-key worried about this whole Signal thing with Pete Hegseth . I mean, I get that he's a high-ranking official, but come on, who lets their wife and bro get access to classified info? It's not exactly a confidence booster for the Pentagon when you're sharing sensitive details like that...idk how it was declassified tho .

But what really gets my goat is that Hegseth just kinda shrugged it off and said it wasn't a big deal . Like, dude, using an unofficial app to transmit classified info? That's not something you do, no matter who you are . It's time for some accountability in the Department of Defense, imo . We need to know what's going on behind closed doors if we're gonna trust our leaders with our lives .

I mean, come on! Pete Hegseth is like the ultimate " signal" guy (get it? ) - he's got a security breach that's got everyone talking, but at least he didn't send any classified texts to his ex . But seriously, can you imagine sharing opsec secrets with your wife and brother over Signal? That's like texting the whole family about the surprise party . The Pentagon should really step up their security game - I mean, they're not just protecting our country, they're also protecting Pete's reputation .

OMG, can you believe this is happening? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharing sensitive info on an encrypted messaging app Signal with his wife and brother?! I mean, I get that he thinks he's got the authority to declassify, but come on! That's like having a nuclear code in your pocket just waiting for a typo . And now he's not even willing to answer questions about it? Unbelievable! The whole thing is just a mess... what's next? Is he gonna use WhatsApp to send out top-secret orders?

This is a big deal! I mean, we're talking about the Defense Secretary here . How could he be so careless with sensitive info? Like, isn't that just basic security protocol stuff? He's sharing this with his family and others on an encrypted app? That's like asking for trouble .

And what's with him not wanting to answer questions about it? I mean, come on, Pete, be a grown-up about it . The inspector general is trying to do their job here . And now everyone's all over this, including lawmakers and Pentagon leaders .

This is a major breach of trust . Like, if you're the head of the Defense Department, how can we trust that you'll keep our country safe? It's not just about him, it's about the whole operation . Do we really need to know what planes are going to hit where and when? No, but apparently he felt like sharing .

Gotta wonder how this happened in the first place . Was there someone who was supposed to be checking this stuff? Did Hegseth just get sloppy or something? I don't know what's more concerning: that he shared classified info with his fam, or that he didn't even bother to report it properly .

This whole thing is super weird . Like, how do we even fix this mess now? Do we need new security protocols? More accountability for the Defense Secretary? I don't know, but something's gotta change .

i think its wild that he shared intel with his fam like how do you even get the word out to your family without someone listening? anyway, i think its a major breach of operational security. idk what kind of clearance peters got, but sharing sensitive info on a personal app is just asking for trouble

oh man, this is so concerning ... i can imagine how stressful it must be for the secretary's family to have their info shared like that... and the fact that he declined to be interviewed just makes things worse ... it's not about being politically motivated or whatever, it's about taking care of sensitive info and following protocols ... what if his wife and brother had gotten in trouble because of something he shared with them? ... the fact that they're already having these issues, like personnel purges and criticism of management style, makes me wonder if this is just a symptom of deeper problems ... anyway, i hope they get to the bottom of it and fix whatever broken system led to this breach

OMG, this is so crazy ! I mean, can you even imagine sharing secret mission plans with your family members? Like, what if they accidentally sent it to someone who's not supposed to see it? The fact that Hegseth thought he was above the rules and just used an encrypted app doesn't make sense. And now lawmakers are all like "wait a minute" ... maybe we need to do some serious retraining on security protocols over at the Pentagon.

As a student, I feel like this is super relevant because it's all about responsibility and trust ... and if you're in charge, you gotta set an example. The fact that Hegseth didn't even want to be interviewed and just gave limited responses? Red flag alert ! And now the whole Pentagon leadership is trying to downplay it? Yeah, I don't buy it. We need more transparency and accountability, stat!