Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is standing firm amidst calls from Democrats for his resignation following several high-profile shootings linked to Pentagon personnel.
In spite of a barrage of scandalous headlines in recent days, the most recent one accusing him of leaking details about at least two sensitive signal group chats taken from a secured military channel, the former Fox News personality remained defiant on Tuesday.
Sticking to his previous assertion that “war plans” are not disclosed in the chat, Hegseth referenced his former network to defend himself with a program frequently watched by President Trump.
“The disgruntled ex-employee is pushing narratives to salvage their reputation. Ultimately, that strategy fails,” Hegseth told Brian Kilmeade on Fox & Friends.
The president expressed his continued support for Hegseth on Monday, a stance reiterated by his spokesperson during a White House press briefing.
“I want to emphasize that the president has been steadfast in addressing the changes he is initiating at the Pentagon and the outcomes achieved thus far speak volumes,” White House representative Caroline Leavitt informed the press.
She criticized a slew of recent reports about a “Smear Campaign” by “numerous individuals in the city who oppose significant change.”
However, the recent signal scandal has sparked concerns from lawmakers across party lines, as Democrats are demanding Hegseth’s ouster and Republicans are questioning his suitability for the role.
“Hegseth must go,” stated Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a military veteran. She wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday. “The intelligence he distributed via signal, which included his spouse, was shared on a secure channel. He endangered pilots with his reckless behavior.”
“When the Secretary of Defense is tarnished, it jeopardizes the safety of the military,” Mark Warner, a leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, conveyed on X on Tuesday.
Former Navy helicopter pilot, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) also called for Hegseth’s dismissal.
“If Pete Hegseth genuinely aimed to transform our military into a meritocracy, he would have already cleared out his office and submitted his resignation,” she remarked on X on Monday.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (Fla.) became the second Republican to publicly voice concerns regarding Hegseth earlier this week.
“If he discusses something classified or something meant for internal discussions with his spouse, and she lacks the necessary security briefings, yes, that affects me,” Gimenez stated on CNN.
This comes after comments from Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
“If it’s genuine that he was discussing Signal, I’m not in the White House, and I’m not going to advise the White House on management, but I wouldn’t accept or condone it,” he communicated, highlighting that chats with family are utterly inappropriate.
Another Senate Republican shared with The Hill on Monday that many members were in “wait-and-see mode” regarding Hegseth.
Hegseth has faced criticism since last week when three former Pentagon officials (Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darin Selnick) were dismissed over allegations of leaking information to the media. In a joint statement, he criticized “a shadowy Pentagon official.”
This was followed by a troubling comment from Pentagon spokesperson John Uritt. Featured in Politico Magazine on Sunday, he indicated that “a total breakdown” in the department could cost him his position.
“Those of us who support secretaries like me must acknowledge: last month was a complete breakdown at the Pentagon. This is emerging as a significant issue for the administration,” Uritt wrote.
The latest issue arose from a New York Times report on Sunday. Hegseth indicated a second signal chat aimed at discrediting the so-called “leakers” through denunciation.
“At this point, those who were leaked and expelled from the building are trying to undermine the president’s agenda and what we aim to achieve. That’s unfortunate. That’s not what I am here to do.”
Caldwell, Carroll, and Selnick denied leaking information and stated they were not informed of their terminations.
While it is not explicitly clear to counter the second signal chat, Hegseth contended that the information he provided was “an unofficial and non-categorized revision, like media updates.”
However, this excuse was quickly challenged when NBC News released a report indicating that he used his personal mobile device to disseminate information concerning signal group chats obtained from secure messages dispatched by the U.S. Central Command.
Hegseth reportedly shared the information within ten minutes of Kurilla sending it, after being warned by an aide to exercise due caution and advised against transmitting any confidential details regarding the communications framework without taking measures.
The scandal is also reaching the courts, as the nonprofit Watchdog group on Monday intensified federal lawsuits against five cabinet members, including the Defense Secretary over the use of signals to manage U.S. airstrikes in Yemen.
The original lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C. on March 25, requesting a federal judge to instruct cabinet officials to preserve signal messages, arguing that using the app breaches federal regulations that govern the maintenance of governmental records, according to the group’s allegations.
