Yemen leak widens: Hegseth reportedly shared strike details in family Signal chat too

Hegseth reportedly shared details of the Yemen strike in a second Signal chat

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's troubles continue following the Yemen Signal chat leak. He is reported to have shared sensitive details about a US airstrike in Yemen via a second private Signal group that included his wife, brother, and personal attorney, according to The New York Times.

The March 15 strike targeted Houthi militants, and similar information was shared in a separate group chat with senior Trump administration officials. Four individuals familiar with the messages confirmed the nature of the private exchanges.

A source confirmed to The Associated Press the existence of the second chat, requesting anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

The second Signal chat, according to a source familiar with its contents, included 13 participants and was titled “Defense ' Team Huddle.” Signal, while widely available to the public, is not an approved platform for sharing sensitive or classified national defense details.

Among the information reportedly shared in the group were details about flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets involved in planned airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen — the same details Hegseth had shared earlier in a different chat that mistakenly included a journalist from The Atlantic.

Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer — a former Fox News producer — was part of the group, despite not holding a position within the Defense Department. Her frequent presence during overseas trips and sensitive meetings has already raised concerns.

Also included were Hegseth’s brother Phil and his personal attorney Tim Parlatore, both of whom are employed at the Pentagon, though it remains unclear why they were given access to operational military plans.

Unlike the earlier Signal chat that accidentally included a journalist from The Atlantic, the newly disclosed group was personally created by Pete Hegseth. Formed back in January, before his confirmation as defense secretary, the chat included roughly a dozen people from his close personal and professional circles, including his wife.

In response to the controversy, both the White House and Pentagon issued statements late Sunday, dismissing the allegations as false and attributing them to disgruntled former staffers attempting to stir up trouble.

“No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared,” said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary.

“Recently fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.”

According to someone familiar with the situation, aides had cautioned Pete Hegseth just a day or two before the airstrikes in Yemen not to share sensitive military details in his Signal group chat. Though encrypted, the app doesn't meet the security standards required for discussions involving classified war plans or active military operations.

It's still unknown how Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host with no prior experience in senior government roles before his confirmation in January, reacted to those warnings.

“The details keep coming out. We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. But Trump is still too weak to fire him,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X. “Pete Hegseth must be fired.”

The initial Signal chat, organized by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, included several Cabinet officials and gained public attention after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to the group.

Messages from that chat, later published by The Atlantic, revealed that Pete Hegseth outlined specific weapons systems and a planned timeline for a strike against the Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

Hegseth has since maintained that no classified materials or official war strategies were disclosed in the messages shared with the journalist.

Investigation launched against Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing growing scrutiny after reportedly sharing sensitive military strike details via a private Signal chat. The Pentagon’s acting inspector general launched an investigation at the request of top Senate Armed Services Committee members. Senator Jack Reed expressed serious concern, urging a deeper probe into a second chat group and questioning Hegseth’s judgment and ability to lead.