U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing mounting pressure to resign after it was revealed that he shared sensitive military plans regarding an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen—not once, but in two separate Signal group chats, one of which included his wife, lawyer, and brother.
The leak, first reported by The Atlantic, already triggered controversy after editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a chat by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. But a second Signal chat has now come to light—shared on the same day, March 15—further deepening the scandal.
This second group reportedly included Hegseth’s wife Jennifer Rauchet (a former Fox News producer), his brother Phil Hegseth, and his attorney Tim Parlatore. While Phil and Parlatore are said to hold roles within the Pentagon, none are believed to hold positions requiring knowledge of classified strike plans. The messages allegedly contained details of flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets involved in the operation.
“Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. But Trump is still too weak to fire him. He must be fired,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on X.
Chaos within the Pentagon has been mounting as the fallout continues. Three former senior advisers to Hegseth have already been placed on administrative leave, and the Defense Department has launched a formal investigation into the leaks.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined the call for resignation, stating:
“Our service members and our national security deserve more than Pete Hegseth. He is unqualified for this job.”
Adding to the pressure, John Ullyot, Hegseth’s former press secretary and one of his closest advisers, wrote a scathing piece in POLITICO, accusing Hegseth of overseeing a “strange and baffling purge” within the department.
“Even strong backers of the secretary like me must admit: The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon,” Ullyot said.
Rumors of more firings are reportedly circulating, with insiders describing the current state of the Defense Department as a distraction for the president at a time of heightened military operations abroad.
Whether Hegseth will be forced to resign—or whether former President Donald Trump will take action—is still unclear. But with national security on the line and bipartisan scrutiny mounting, Hegseth’s tenure appears increasingly uncertain.
