U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing another round of backlash for reportedly including his inner circle in a second sensitive group chat, allegedly about the Yemen war plans. As the pressure rages on against Hegseth, 44, over security concerns, many Americans — and some conservatives — are calling on the former Fox News employee to resign from his position. Get updates on Hegseth’s position at the Pentagon below.
Pete Hegseth’s Signal Chat Controversies
In March 2025, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, published a viral piece with the publication claiming that he was mistakenly included in a Signal group chat with Hegseth and top officials regarding the military strikes in Yemen.
One month later, multiple outlets reported that Hegseth included his inner circle in a second group chat about the attack on the Houthis. According to Reuters, the chat included Hegseth’s wife, brother and lawyer.
Is Pete Hegseth Resigning?
At the time of publication, Hegseth has not addressed the resignation rumors. He is not resigning from this position. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on April 21, 2025, that Trump “absolutely has confidence in secretary Hegseth. I spoke to him about it this morning, and he stands strongly behind him,” according to The Guardian.
Nevertheless, quite a few conservatives have voiced their concerns over Hegseth’s actions. Former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot wrote an op-ed with Politico about the alleged “total chaos” that the Pentagon has been under.
“From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president,” Ullyot wrote, adding that it’s “hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.”
Claiming that the Pentagon has been “in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership,” Ullyot added in his piece that Trump won the 2024 election because he’s “not a go-along, get-along creature of the Beltway like many of his recent predecessors, but rather a shrewd businessman who expects results and holds his team accountable for serious mistakes that occur on their watch.”
“Last week, a month after leaving my public affairs role, I respectfully declined the secretary’s generous offer for a new position and informed him of my decision to leave the department, wishing him all the best,” he continued. “I value his friendship and am grateful for his giving me the opportunity to serve. I salute his leadership in helping the president make America strong again.”
What Has Trump Said About Hegseth?
Trump has previously expressed his support for Hegseth. Upon nominating him to become the defense secretary, Trump said that under Hegseth’s leadership, “America’s enemies are on notice — Our military will be great again, and America will never back down. Nobody fights harder for the troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”
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