Pete Hegseth Faces More Calls to Resign Over Signal Texts

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ew disclosures concerning the unauthorized sharing of sensitive military information through an unsecured messaging platform by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have intensified calls for his resignation, marking the scandal’s third day of fallout.

“Hegseth is doing a fantastic job; he had no involvement in this,” Trump stated to reporters late Wednesday, shortly after The Atlantic released additional transcripts from a Signal group chat that included Hegseth, several prominent Trump officials, and journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who was mistakenly included in the conversation. The messages disclosed that Hegseth provided real-time information about a U.S. airstrike on Yemen’s Houthi militants on March 15, detailing the launch timings of F-18 fighter jets, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and Tomahawk missiles—data that national security experts classify as sensitive. In one of the group’s messages, Hegseth specified the exact time when “THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP.”

“Everyone involved in that text chain should be dismissed, but Pete Hegseth’s resignation is essential,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, during an interview with TIME on Wednesday, reacting to the revelation that Hegseth had shared details of a military operation on Signal.

Other officials present in the chat included Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who organized the chat and erroneously added Goldberg. Following Hegseth, Waltz has faced significant backlash, and he stated late Tuesday that he accepts full responsibility for the “embarrassing” leak.

Trump defended his beleaguered Defense Secretary, who had narrowly secured his position to lead the Pentagon two months prior, despite his lack of military experience compared to his predecessors and allegations of heavy drinking. “How do you bring Hegseth into this?” Trump asked reporters on Wednesday. “He wasn’t involved. It’s all a witch hunt.”

Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, remarked on Wednesday that “no military officer would endure this” and criticized the Administration’s handling of the situation as “an egregious breach of operational security.”

“Any military officer who inadvertently leaked or carelessly managed such sensitive information would lose their security clearance and probably face court-martial,” he asserted. “Secretary Hegseth should resign by noon today.” When asked about Waltz’s potential resignation, Ossoff added, “He’s also clearly incompetent and should be removed.”

Even some Republicans are now advocating for an investigation. Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced on Wednesday that he would call for an inspector general investigation into the use of Signal for discussing military operations. While Signal is often recommended for its encrypted messaging, it is generally not regarded as secure enough for national security communication.

Wicker, one of the few Republicans who have questioned Hegseth’s leadership, expressed concern over the Administration’s refusal to recognize the seriousness of the breach. “The information released recently appears to be of such sensitive nature that, based on my understanding, I would have insisted on its classification,” he told reporters.

The Trump Administration has maintained that the messages did not contain classified data. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to clarify the basis for the Administration’s stance, instead asserting that the controversy was exaggerated and accusing The Atlantic of disseminating misinformation. “Do you trust the Secretary of Defense, who was nominated for this role and confirmed by the United States Senate, who has served honorably in combat, or do you trust Jeffrey Goldberg, a registered Democrat and an anti-Trump sensationalist reporter?” she questioned reporters on Wednesday.

However, leading Democrats have vehemently rejected the Administration’s dismissals. “It’s nonsense. What world do these people inhabit?” Senator Mark Warner, the leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told TIME regarding the Administration’s claims that the shared information was not classified. “When you detail the time, place, and type of weaponry used—do they think the American public is naïve?” Warner contended that the leak not only jeopardized American troops but also eroded trust with crucial allies. “‘America First’ shouldn’t translate to America alone, and that’s the direction we’re heading.”

When pressed late Wednesday about whether he still believes the messages were unclassified, Trump replied, “You’ll have to ask the people involved… I really don’t know.”

Duckworth, a combat veteran herself, told TIME that the information shared in the chat was, by definition, classified. “The sequence of the attack and the types of platforms being used are automatically classified information,” she explained. “This information was shared in an unclassified setting before those pilots were in the target area. If that Signal chain had been compromised, those pilots could have lost their lives.”

Beyond the immediate danger to U.S. personnel, Duckworth expressed worries about potential long-term diplomatic repercussions. “I’m certain our allies are reconsidering sharing classified information with us,” she told TIME. “We’ve demonstrated that our Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, and the NSA are unable to safeguard classified data.”

During a tense House Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe defended their involvement in the chat, asserting that similar information had been shared with U.S. allies. However, their explanations did not convince Democrats, who accused the Administration of failing to protect vital military strategies. Representative Jason Crow pointed out that the Houthis had successfully brought down drones used in the operation and attributed the security vulnerability to the Administration. “This is a leadership failure, and that’s why Secretary Hegseth, who undoubtedly transmitted classified, sensitive operational information through this chain, must resign immediately,” Crow stated.

Republican leaders, however, have remained surprisingly quiet. Senator Mitch McConnell, the former long-serving Senate Majority Leader who voted against Hegseth’s confirmation, declined to comment when asked by TIME if he believed Hegseth should stay in his position. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, also refrained from commenting when asked if Hegseth and Waltz should be terminated.

Democrats contend that the Signal incident follows a concerning trend of negligent handling of national security information during Trump’s presidency. From his initial days in office, Trump has consistently displayed little regard for safeguarding the nation’s secrets, impacting relationships with U.S. intelligence partners. In 2017, he shared classified intelligence from Israel with Russia’s foreign minister during a meeting at the White House. “We’re witnessing a level of incompetence,” Warner told TIME. “If this were an isolated incident… but this is a pattern.”