White House plagued by Signal controversy as Pentagon in “full-blown meltdown”
It’s possible that the White House may be looking to replace defense secretary Pete Hegseth after critics warned that a pair of controversial Signal chats risked compromising US national security.
In March, it was revealed that Hegseth accidentally texted secret bombing plans in a Signal chat that included a reporter, raising alarms about his handling of sensitive military information. And then this weekend, The New York Times revealed that he similarly shared the attack plans, just minutes after learning of them, in a personal Signal chat that included his wife and brother.
That second revelation sparked a “full-blown meltdown” at the Pentagon, The Guardian reported, apparently prompting the Trump administration to begin “the process of looking for a new secretary of defense,” a US official granted anonymity told NPR Monday.
Related Knowledge Center: Signalgate
The inadvertent inclusion of the Atlantic editor on a Signal group chat sharing information about a pending U.S. military strike has created an uproar of accusations and denials. It’s also exposed a Pandora’s box of shoddy digital security practices within the Trump administration
The White House vs. the press | Digital privacy and data security