U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to face criticism related to the leak of military secrets. This is the second military leak involving Hegseth since his appointment as U.S. Defense Secretary.

Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) in the classified information leak. Photo: Reuters.

US media outlets yesterday reported that Defense Secretary Hegseth shared details of the March attack on Houthi forces in Yemen in a group chat on the messaging app Signal, which included dozens of members, including his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. The US Defense Secretary’s sharing of classified information related to military plans in a group chat primarily for administrative matters occurred at a particularly sensitive time for Hegseth.

The US Department of Defense Inspector General is currently investigating Secretary Hegseth’s use of the Signal app to discuss sensitive information related to military operations in Yemen. The investigation will determine the extent to which the Defense Secretary and other staff members complied with Department of Defense policies and procedures regarding the use of the commercial messaging app for official business.

Previously, the leak of information about the Houthi attack in Yemen, which occurred in a group chat of top government officials created by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in late March, also drew significant criticism for Hegseth.

Following this leak, last week, three of the Secretary of Defense’s senior advisors were abruptly fired on charges of leaking sensitive information. Many senior Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation and urged Hegseth’s resignation. Meanwhile, former Department of Defense spokesman John Ullyot, who recently resigned, posted an article stating that the Department of Defense was in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership and suggesting that President Donald Trump should remove the Secretary.

In response to public criticism, the Trump administration once again defended Hegseth. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized: “The President strongly supports Secretary Hegseth, who is doing an outstanding job leading the Department of Defense. What is happening is that the entire Department of Defense is against him, opposing the massive change he is trying to implement.”

Pentagon in “chaos,” is Defense Secretary Hegseth unlikely to retain his position?

— Former senior Defense Department spokesman John Ullyot believes the Pentagon is in a state of “complete chaos” and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is unlikely to remain in his position.

Hours earlier, President Donald Trump also affirmed his confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump stated that doubts about Hegseth’s abilities are a waste of time and that he is doing a great job.

In a statement, the U.S. Secretary of Defense also defended himself, saying he had not discussed any information related to war plans: “You see, this is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to cut and burn people and ruin our reputation. But that won’t work on me. Because we’re changing the Department of Defense, and anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees about old news don’t matter. This is why we have to fight the fake news media.”

Hegseth, a former co-host of Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend,” was a contributor to the network for a decade. Hegseth served in the military, although he did not have senior military or national security experience.

The selection of Hegseth was outside the traditional criteria for a Secretary of Defense, but he was a staunch supporter of President Trump during his first term. However, according to experts, leaking classified information regarding attack times and the types of aircraft deployed, if disclosed to the enemy, could endanger the lives of American soldiers. Furthermore, the repeated leaks of classified information in a short period of time raise concerns about the security and defense capabilities of the US Department of Defense and could lead to the Secretary of Defense facing the risk of being forced to resign.