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Signal Texts Controversy Surrounds Hegseth Following Overseas Trip

The Pentagon’s inspector general’s office announced a review on Thursday regarding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging application to communicate about military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen last month. This investigation arises from concerns about compliance with Department of Defense (DoD) policies and procedures related to official communications.

Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins emphasized in a memo that the purpose of the evaluation is to assess how well the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel adhered to guidelines concerning commercial messaging applications for official use. The review will also address adherence to classification standards and records retention mandates.

The request for this investigation came from the chairman and the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, who sought clarification on the appropriateness of using Signal to coordinate military actions. Reports from The Atlantic disclosed that Hegseth shared specific information regarding weapon systems and planned strike times in a group chat before operations scheduled for March 15, 2025. These messages, which had a setting to automatically disappear after one week for some users, raise significant concerns about potential violations of records preservation regulations.

In response to the allegations, Hegseth remarked last week following the release of the messages, “Nobody’s texting war plans. There’s no units, no locations, no routes, no flight paths, no sources, no methods, no classified information.” However, lawmakers and military experts have expressed skepticism over Hegseth’s assertions, particularly given that the timing of the strikes was disclosed prior to their execution.

This is a developing story, and further updates will follow as more information becomes available.

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