Report says Pete Hegseth put troops at risk by sharing war plans in Signal chat

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly compromised the safety of U.S. forces by distributing highly classified information about ongoing military operations in a Signal group chat earlier this year, according to a newly released report.

The Inspector General conducted the investigation and submitted the classified findings to Congress on Tuesday night, with CNN obtaining a copy. An unclassified version of the report is expected to be made public on Thursday.

In March, Hegseth sent several messages detailing airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen to a private group chat. The chat participants included senior government officials, such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with a journalist from The Atlantic, who was added by mistake.

The messages, initially reported by The Atlantic, contained highly sensitive and real-time operational information. One of the messages specifically stated: This is when the first bombs will drop.

The Inspector Generals report highlighted that there was no evidence showing Hegseth had declassified the information before sharing it in the chat. Hegseth declined an in-person interview for the investigation, providing his account of events in writing instead.

Author: Grace Ellison