Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth defended himself over the investigation into alleged leakers at the Pentagon in which senior staff were placed on leave, saying there is “sufficient evidence” to believe they or others close to them were leaking.
Hegseth said reporting of his use of the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a forthcoming attack on Houthi targets in Yemen, including to his wife and brother, was intended to undermine President Donald Trump.
Those reports sparked the internal investigation into leaks at the Pentagon, which has resulted in the ousting of officials, including Dan Caldwell, former top adviser to Hegseth. Caldwell has said he was not told why he was removed from his role.
“This is what it’s all about—trying to get at President Trump and his agenda,” Hegseth told Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning, after Trump had made clear he continues to support his defense secretary amid speculation of his imminent removal.
Why it Matters
The use of Signal to share sensitive information between Trump’s cabinet officials, which leaked out when a journalist was mistakenly added to a chat, has raised questions about the security of the administration’s communications.
The administration is also facing at least one lawsuit over its use of Signal, which can auto-delete messages and so is potentially in violation of federal record-keeping laws.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
What to Know
Hegseth again denied sharing “war plans” over the Signal app, saying he sent “informal, unclassified coordinations” to other people. “None of this is based in reality,” he said, referring to the criticism over his use of Signal.
He said he had a “statutory responsibility” to investigate suspected leaks and to ensure those believed to be involved were removed from access to sensitive information.
“There are a lot of ways to communicate in this building. I do it every day. I was just doing it this morning,” Hegseth told Fox & Friends.
“Official channels by which we communicate classified information. You want to do it, and do it the right way? You should. If we think you are leaking to the press, that’s a very real problem, we take that very seriously at the Pentagon.”
Caldwell released a joint statement with former deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, former chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary, who were both also removed from the Pentagon amid the leaks investigation.
“We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended,” the joint statement read.
“Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door. All three of us served our country honorably in uniform—for two of us, this included deployments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“And, based on our collective service, we understand the importance of information security and worked every day to protect it.”
What People Are Saying
President Trump rallied behind Hegseth on Monday: “Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him.”
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican and a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Politico: “It looks like there’s a meltdown going on. There’s a lot—a lot—of smoke come out of the Pentagon, and I got to believe there’s some fire there somewhere.”
What’s Next
Hegseth said the leaks investigation is continuing, and for now he maintains the support of the president. But stories continue to emerge, and Hegseth remains the favorite to exit the Trump Administration first from the cabinet.