"What's happening?" Vance rejoined Hegseth's Signal group chat to make light of scandal

On Thursday, the Department of Defense's inspector general issued a critical report examining Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths use of app-based group chats for discussions involving sensitive information. The report highlighted that Hegseths disregard for protocol could have endangered U.S. military personnel.

The controversy initially arose when an editor at The Atlantic was inadvertently included in conversations about planned military strikes in Yemen, marking a significant misstep for both Hegseth and the Trump administration.

Amid the growing uproar, Vice President JD Vance returned to the Signal chat to inject humor into the tense situation. Following the news coverage of Hegseths security lapse, Vance typed into the group:

"This chats kind of dead. Anything going on?"

The inspector generals findings emphasized that Hegseths failure to secure sensitive information could have led to severe consequences. Despite the reports warning, Pentagon officials publicly framed the release as a positive outcome. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated,

"The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along no classified information was shared. This matter is resolved, and the case is closed."

Sources:

• “Anything going on?”: Vance returned to Hegseth’s Signal group chat to joke about scandal