Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently responded strongly to a report claiming he was involved in a group chat where sensitive military plans were discussed. This statement came after he arrived in Hawaii for meetings focused on U.S. military readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.
The report, published by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, suggested that officials from the Trump administration shared classified information about military strategies against Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen through the encrypted messaging app Signal. Hegseth dismissed these claims, labeling Goldberg as a "deceitful and highly discredited" journalist known for spreading false narratives.
During his comments, Hegseth expressed pride in the U.S. military’s efforts, highlighting the challenges faced by troops due to years of neglect in maintenance and support. He emphasized that under President Trump, the military would no longer be restrained and would actively work to defeat the Houthis and ensure freedom of navigation in the region.
When pressed about how the journalist obtained information from the chat, Hegseth firmly stated, “Nobody was texting war plans,” insisting that the claims made in the report were unfounded.
This incident reflects ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and certain media outlets, with Hegseth’s remarks underscoring the administration’s commitment to a more aggressive military posture in the Middle East.