Fox News Figure Hegseth Under Fire Over Leaked Chats, Criticism Mounts
- ~2 min read
Trump Shares Unfounded Speculation, Yet Backlash Over Hegseth-Chaffetz Scandal Escalates - Trump expresses suspicion about a conspiracy, yet criticism against Hegseth's personal matter continues to escalate
Pete Hegseth, a Fox News personality and former Vets For Freedom executive director, faces growing criticism following recent revelations about his involvement in a controversial chat group. A Republican congressman has called on President Trump to take action against Hegseth. Reports suggest the White House might be searching for a replacement, though the White House denies this claim.
Wife Not Employed by Pentagon
In one group chat on Signal, Hegseth allegedly shared military plans, including with his non-Pentagon-employed wife and other individuals. Hegseth's brother and personal lawyer, both Pentagon employees, were also reportedly part of the group.
Hegseth had already faced scrutiny over a different Signal group chat discussing planned attacks' timelines. An editor-in-chief of "The Atlantic" magazine was accidentally added to the chat, making it public. The government maintains that the detailed information shared was not secret.
At an Easter White House event, Hegseth dismissed the allegations as smear tactics by disgruntled former employees. "Leakers get fired, and suddenly there's a flurry of negative headlines," he remarked.
Pentagon's Alleged Sabotage?
The White House suspects a conspiracy within the Department of Defense against Hegseth, who has fired high-ranking military officials to carry out President Trump's national security agenda.
Congressman Don Bacon, a former Air Force general and Defense Committee member, told Politico that Hegseth's actions were unprofessional. If the reports about the second Signal chat are true, it would be "entirely unacceptable." He suggested that if he were in charge, he would not tolerate it.
Trump's Unwavering Support
Despite the controversy, President Trump stands by Hegseth, stating, "He was put in place to get rid of a lot of bad people. And that's exactly what he's done."
The New York Times reported that Hegseth created the second chat himself, involving around a dozen people from his personal and professional circle before his swearing-in as a defense official. The chats were allegedly conducted on Hegseth's personal phone.
A Second Chat — A Bigger Problem?
Law professor Ryan Goodman, who worked as a Department of Defense lawyer, stated on CNN that the second chat might pose a bigger problem for Hegseth, as he could have shared attack plans with individuals who should not have had access to them.
- Pete Hegseth's wife, who is not employed by the Pentagon, was reportedly part of a controversial chat group, raising concerns about the sharing of military plans.
- The White House, while denying a search for a replacement, is suspected to be considering one due to the growing criticism against Hegseth following the leaked conversations.
- Congressman Don Bacon, a former Air Force general and member of the Defense Committee, has criticized Hegseth's actions in the second Signal chat, stating that if he were in charge, he would not tolerate it.
- Despite the controversy, President Trump continues to support Hegseth, praising him for his role in getting rid of "bad people" according to Trump's national security agenda.
- Law professor Ryan Goodman has suggested that the second chat could pose a bigger problem for Hegseth, as it might involve the sharing of attack plans with individuals who should not have had access to them, potentially violating policy-and-legislation and general-news regarding war-and-conflicts and politics.
