The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, reacted on Monday to the revelation that discussed the details about an imminent attack against Houthis in Yemen in March in a second chat of group of signals, one that included his wife and brother.
Speaking to journalists in the Easter Easter roll of the White House, which he attended with his family, Hegesh attacked those who, according to him, were “discontent” former employees and the media for what he said they were “anonymous smear.”
“I have talked to the president and we will continue fighting. On the same page until the end,” said Hegseth.
President Donald Trump defended Hegseth and said he still has “great confidence” in him when he took reports from reporters in the White House celebration.
“Here we go again. Just a waste of time. He’s doing a great job,” Trump said about Hegseth.
“Ask the hutis how it is,” added the president.
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, observes, during the annual Easter egg event of the White House, on the southern grass of the White House in Washington, DC, April 21, 2025.
Leah Millis/Reuters
A Easter bunny supports President Donald Trump while Trump greets on the balcony of the Blue Room during the annual Easter eggs on the southern grass of the White House, on April 21, 2025, in Washington.
Mandel and/AFP
The sources told ABC News that Hegseth shared information about an upcoming attack against Hutíes rebels in Yemen in a chat of signal messages that included his wife Jennifer, who does not work for the Department of Defense, as well as his brother and his personal lawyer.
Hegseth did not explicitly refuse the report, since he was asked to respond to the reports on Monday.
“They take anonymous sources from former unhappy employees, and then try to cut and burn people and ruin their reputation. They will not work with me, because we are changing the defense department, putting the pentagon in the hands of war combatants and anonymous spots of former unhappy employees in old news,” he said.
According to the reports, the second signal chat occurred at the same time that Trump’s senior officials, including Hegseth, discussed a strike about the hutis on the commercially available application. That text chain came to light because it was unnoticed to the chat was the chief editor of the Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg. The Independent Inspector of the Pentagon is currently reviewing the use of the Hegseth signal to discuss military actions.
The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, pressed the last revelation in “Fox & Friends “on Monday, said” the president is far behind Secretary Hegseth “and said hegseth” is doing a phenomenal job leading the pentagon. “
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Heghseth, talks to the media, during the Annual Easter Easter event of the White House, at the White House Southn Lawn in Washington, on April 21, 2025.
Leah Millis/Reuters
The use of the signal to discuss delicate military operations can complicate the ongoing investigations in possible leaks involving the first known group chat, which included the main assistants and other members of the Hegseth team, at least three of which have been fired in relation to the investigation.
Those officials, Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick, have spoken against what they say they are unfounded accusations against them.
“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.
Leavitt, in responding to Hegseth’s news on Monday, also sought to blame the former employees while defending the Secretary of Defense.
“The administration and the president have adopted a very strong position against anyone who filters, especially sensitive and classified information that can put our troops at risk and our war combatants,” Leavitt said in Fox. “And you have seen that the secretary has taken very strong measures to control the leaks in the pentagon and will continue to do so, I am sure.”
Luis Martínez and Kelsey Walsh of ABC News contributed to this report.
