Trump Backs Defense Secretary After Private Chat Leak Raises Security Questions

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Trump dismissed the controversy, calling it old news and blaming the media for trying to stir up trouble. “Pete’s doing a great job,” he told reporters. (File Photo: Pete Hegseth/Facebook)

President Donald Trump is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after reports surfaced that military strike details were shared in a private group chat with people not officially involved in national security decisions — including Hegseth’s wife, brother, and personal lawyer.

The chat, created on the encrypted app Signal, reportedly included information about U.S. airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to CBS and The New York Times, the messages included flight schedules for American fighter jets. While the White House insists no classified information was shared, experts warn that even unclassified details about active missions can still put lives at risk.

Trump dismissed the controversy, calling it old news and blaming the media for trying to stir up trouble. “Pete’s doing a great job,” he told reporters. “This is just noise from unhappy former staff.” Hegseth has not directly responded to the latest report.

Signal is known for its strong security and end-to-end encryption. Still, national security experts say sensitive information should never be shared on private apps — no matter how secure they claim to be. Government officials are expected to use official, protected channels for anything related to military operations.

Critics are also raising concerns about why Hegseth involved people with no clear need to know in military discussions. His wife, Jennifer Rauchet, is a former TV producer with no Pentagon role, and while his brother and lawyer work in the Department of Defense, their connection to strike planning is unclear.

This isn’t the first time questions about Hegseth’s informal approach have been raised. An earlier Signal group also included a journalist by mistake, highlighting how internal discussions are being handled.

Lawmakers may now push for more explicit rules about how digital tools like Signal are used in the government. As technology changes how leaders communicate, security experts say the stakes are too high for shortcuts — especially when American troops are involved.