GOP legislator claims Hegseth's reputation destroyed due to Signalgate and Ukraine: 'Bad judgment'

Republican Representative Don Bacon has stated that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths credibility has been severely undermined due to his handling of Signalgate, the exit of long-standing Pentagon journalists, and his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO. Bacon labeled Hegseths recent decisions as examples of poor judgment.

Speaking on C-SPANs Ceasefire alongside Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, Bacon expressed dissatisfaction with Hegseths performance in recent months and reiterated his criticisms. Concerns over the Defense Secretary have been growing, particularly regarding controversial airstrikes targeting alleged drug traffickers that reportedly resulted in over 80 fatalities.

After Signalgate, Ive seen enough, Bacon remarked. I expected accountability and acknowledgment of mistakes, but when he shifted blame to the media, it destroyed his credibility. The incident refers to The Atlantic editor being accidentally included in a Signal group chat where Hegseth and other Trump administration officials discussed a potential military strike against Houthi forces in Yemen.

Bacon also addressed Hegseths handling of the incident on CNN, criticizing claims that the Inspector Generals report had cleared him of wrongdoing. That is total nonsense, Bacon said. The report confirms that sensitive information was shared improperly, even if he technically did not release classified material because he can declassify it as defense secretary. The report highlighted that Hegseth violated security protocols by sharing highly sensitive information on an unsecured platform, potentially endangering U.S. troops.

During the C-SPAN interview, Bacon cited additional examples of Hegseths poor decision-making, including imposing new rules that removed veteran Pentagon journalists from press access, replacing them with less experienced reporters, and publicly opposing Ukraines NATO membership. Earlier this year, Hegseth stated that the U.S. does not support Ukraine joining NATO.

Bacons criticisms come amid growing scrutiny of Hegseth over Pentagon operations, including lethal boat strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. While troubled by the reports, Bacon noted that he does not believe Hegseth issued a blanket kill-all order as initially reported.

Author: Noah Whitman