Pentagon watchdog investigators have concluded that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put American troops at risk when he shared sensitive military operational details through an encrypted messaging app earlier this year. The findings, contained in an inspector general's report sent to Congress, could intensify scrutiny of the former Fox News host's handling of classified information just months into his tenure atop the Defence Department.
The report determined Hegseth violated department policies by using his personal device to transmit sensitive U.S. military information about operations in Yemen to other senior Trump administration officials — and inadvertently to a journalist — through a private Signal group chat. Two sources familiar with the investigation's findings told CBS News the defence secretary's actions could have endangered service members deployed overseas.
