Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under media scrutiny following a New York Times report alleging he shared sensitive details about a planned March strike on Houthi targets in Yemen via a private Signal chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
The leak, reportedly from recently fired Pentagon staff, has sparked backlash over whether national security protocols were breached. However, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the controversy, calling it “another old story back from the dead,” and insisting no classified information was shared in the chat.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) April 21, 2025
4/20/25
STATEMENT:
Another day, another old story—back from the dead. The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda. This time, the New York Times — and all other Fake News that repeat their…
President Trump “stands strongly behind” Hegseth, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday, blaming “deep state resistance” for the leaks. Speaking at the White House Easter event, Hegseth denounced the reports as politically motivated, saying, “This is what the media does... They try to slash and burn people.”
.@SecDef Hegseth on "Signal chat controversy": "What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax, won't give back their Pulitzers, they got Pulitzers for a bunch of lies ... This is what… pic.twitter.com/qYH8O98EtX
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 21, 2025
