NATIONAL NEWS – Hegseth violated Defense Department protocols, “endangered the lives of U.S. troops”, says report

On Wednesday, a new report from the U. S. Department of Defense’s inspector general concluded that Pete Hegseth — now U.S. Defense Secretary — violated department protocols by using an unsecured private-phone app, Signal, to share sensitive details about a planned airstrike in Yemen. The March chat among top officials included strike-timing, aircraft schedules and other operational planning for targeting Houthi fighters. The messages were shared before the operation was carried out — a step that, if intercepted, “could have endangered the lives of U.S. troops.”

Although Hegseth has the authority to declassify information, the report found no clear evidence he actually did so, and he declined to be interviewed — providing only a short written statement in which he claimed he had only posted “non-risky” information.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers, including Mark Warner, called for Hegseth’s resignation, arguing the leak exposed a broader pattern of recklessness that undermines operational security and puts service members at risk.

Hegseth, for his part, dismissed the allegations publicly, posting a message on X (formerly Twitter) saying there was “no classified information” and deeming the matter closed.