Leak, deny, repeat? Pete Hegseth accused of sharing military secrets with wife; dismisses reports

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has responded to a reporter at the White House on Monday (Apr 21) following allegations of sharing sensitive military information with his wife, brother, and lawyer.

It is the second time the Pentagon chief has been accused of leaking confidential information about airstrikes on Yemen on the Signal messaging app to unauthorised people.

“This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations,” Hegseth said, adding, “Not going to work with me.”

Hegseth is facing increasing criticism with three ex-staffers and a former Pentagon press secretary calling for him to be removed from the position. Several Democratic lawmakers have also voiced similar views on Hegseth.

“Trump’s Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has now leaked classified military plans TWICE -- this time through a unsecured Signal chat on a personal device to friends and family. He's a walking national security disaster and needs to resign or be fired,” Representative Jim McGovern said.

Senators Mark Warner, Andy Kim and Elissa Slotkin have also called for Hegseth to quit.

“Our military and our country deserve serious leaders. If he cared about the institution he's leading, he should man up, acknowledge he's a distraction to the military's mission, and resign,” said Slotkin.

However, US President Donald Trump has backed Hegseth, saying “he’s doing a great job” and dismissed the reports, calling them “fake news”.

Last month, The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief was added in a Signal chat where top Trump officials, including Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, discussed the March 15 Yemen strikes. The incident sparked criticism of the Trump administration, prompting a Pentagon inspector general’s probe into Hegseth’s use of Signal.

On Sunday (Apr 20), the New York Times and CNN reported that the Pentagon chief had shared information in another Signal group chat on the same strikes. Reportedly, the information disclosed by Hegseth included flight schedules for warplanes that targeted Yemen’s Huthi rebels.

The reports citing anonymous sources added that the chat included his wife, Jennifer, a journalist and former Fox News producer. The group also included his brother Phil and lawyer Tim Parlatore, both of whom serve in roles at the Pentagon.

Last week, three senior officials were removed amid the ongoing investigations into the alleged leaks.