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Report: Pete Hegseth Shared Details of Yemen Operation in Second Signal Chat
Welcome to our live blog covering US politics. I’m Tom Ambrose, and I’ll be providing updates on the key developments throughout the day.
In our lead story, reports indicate that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disseminated sensitive information regarding military actions in Yemen this March via a private Signal messaging group. This group, created by Hegseth himself, included his wife, brother, and approximately a dozen other individuals, according to the New York Times.
The Guardian has independently verified the existence of Hegseth’s personal group chat.
Sources familiar with the chat disclosed to the Times that Hegseth shared with his private circle of associates similar details to those he provided in another Signal group comprising top officials. This included flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets involved in strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The official group was originally established by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
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The existence of the Waltz-initiated Signal group, where Hegseth reportedly divulged classified attack plans to Trump administration personnel via the encrypted messaging platform, surfaced last month. Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic revealed its existence after being inadvertently added to the group by Waltz.
The revelation of Hegseth’s sharing of these plans in a separate Signal group, as reported by “sources familiar with the matter” to the Times, is anticipated to amplify growing scrutiny regarding the former Fox weekend anchor’s competence in leading the Pentagon. The Pentagon is a vast organization dealing with critical global matters of life and death.
The Times further reports that Hegseth’s private chat also encompassed two senior aides – Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick – who were recently dismissed amidst accusations of unauthorized information leaks.
For an in-depth report, see here:
In other developments:
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Immigration authorities in Arizona wrongfully detained a US citizen for approximately 10 days, according to legal documents and media accounts. Jose Hermosillo, a 19-year-old New Mexico resident visiting Arizona, was taken into custody by border patrol agents in Nogales, a city situated along the Mexico border, roughly an hour south of Tucson. Hermosillo’s improper detention and extended confinement occur amidst increasing actions against immigrants by the Trump administration in the US.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen, following his trip to El Salvador last week to engage with Kilmar Ábrego García, the central figure in a disputed deportation case, stated on Sunday that his visit aimed to uphold Ábrego García’s right to due process. He argued that denying this right jeopardizes the constitutional rights of everyone in the US. The White House asserts Ábrego García’s affiliation with the MS-13 gang, despite no gang-related charges against him. The Supreme Court has mandated the facilitation of his return to the US.
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Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar cautioned on Sunday that the US is “approaching a constitutional crisis.” However, she believes the courts, rising Republican unease with Trump administration policies, and public dissent are currently preventing it. “I am confident that as long as our courts remain steadfast, citizens remain engaged, and Congress begins to assert itself, our democracy will endure,” Klobuchar stated on CNN’s State of the Union. She added, “However, Donald Trump is attempting to plunge us into the depths of a crisis.”
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Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey remarked on Sunday that Donald Trump’s criticisms of Harvard University and other educational institutions are producing harmful widespread consequences, including the closure of research facilities and reductions in funding for university-affiliated hospitals. During a CBS’s Face the Nation interview, the Democratic governor suggested that the repercussions for Harvard are undermining “American competitiveness” as researchers seek opportunities abroad. She asserted that after decades of investment in scientific progress and innovation, “intellectual resources are being forfeited.”
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A proposed Trump administration executive order, reportedly circulating among US diplomats, outlines a significant overhaul of the US State Department. This includes substantial cutbacks to operations in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as envoys and bureaus focused on climate change, refugees, human rights, democracy, and gender equality. Bloomberg, having reviewed a 16-page draft, indicates that if implemented, these changes would represent one of the most extensive restructurings of the department since its inception in 1789.
Key events
Across the United States, hundreds of marches, demonstrations, and environmental cleanup initiatives are scheduled in anticipation of Earth Day on Tuesday. Environmental and climate action groups are intensifying their opposition to what they describe as the Trump administration’s increasingly authoritarian approach and its “war on the planet.”
Following the widespread “Hands Off” demonstrations just two weeks prior, which mobilized millions, national and local organizers are partnering with pro-democracy organizations for “All Out on Earth Day”. This coordinated campaign aims to assert the fundamental right to healthy and secure living environments.
In New York City, thousands convened in lower Manhattan this past Saturday for the “Hands Off Migrants march.” This event, supported by numerous climate and migrant advocacy groups, demanded the withdrawal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from New York, and urged New York’s divestment from fossil fuels. These movements are uniting in response to the Trump administration’s stringent stance on immigration and its support for fossil fuels, policies which are seen as drivers of climate change and subsequent displacement.
Concurrently in Milwaukee, a “Stop the Cuts” rally, orchestrated by Indivisible and 50501, denounced Republican legislators for endorsing unprecedented budget reductions in crucial sectors such as healthcare, education, environmental protection, and climate research funding.
The office of Norway’s Prime Minister has announced that Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg are scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington this Thursday.
According to a statement released on Monday, discussions at the White House are expected to encompass security policy matters, NATO affairs, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as topics concerning trade and commerce.
“Norway and the US maintain cooperation across numerous sectors, and the US stands as a significant trade ally for Norway. I anticipate productive conversations regarding opportunities for even closer collaboration in the future,” Stoere stated.
Pete Hegseth Under Scrutiny for Sharing Sensitive Yemen Strike Information Via Signal
Hello and welcome to our ongoing coverage of US politics. I am Tom Ambrose, and I will be keeping you informed with the latest developments throughout the day on this live blog.
Our top story today concerns Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He is facing new scrutiny after reports emerged indicating he transmitted confidential details regarding military strikes against Yemen, planned for March, through a private Signal group chat. According to a report by the New York Times, this group, personally managed by Hegseth, included family members and other non-official individuals.
The Guardian has independently corroborated the existence of this private communication channel utilized by Hegseth.
Citing sources with direct knowledge of the exchanges, the Times revealed that Hegseth disseminated to his inner circle information mirroring what was shared within an official Signal group of high-ranking officials. This sensitive data included schedules for F/A-18 Hornet aircraft intended for operations against Houthi positions in Yemen. The official group was initiated by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The prior disclosure of the Signal group established by Waltz, where Hegseth allegedly revealed classified operational plans to other Trump administration figures via the secure messaging app, was previously reported last month. Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, from The Atlantic, inadvertently gained access to this group and subsequently brought its existence to public attention.
These latest revelations, suggesting Hegseth also circulated these sensitive plans within a second private Signal group, are expected to intensify mounting criticism concerning his leadership capabilities at the helm of the Pentagon. This is according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke with the New York Times. The Pentagon is a vast and critical global organization tasked with weighty decisions.
Further details from the Times indicate that Hegseth’s secondary private chat also involved two senior advisors, Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick. Both Caldwell and Selnick were recently terminated from their roles following accusations of unauthorized disclosures of information.
For our comprehensive coverage on this developing story, please click below:
Additional Headlines:
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Arizona Immigration Detainment: US Citizen Held for Ten Days. According to court documents and media reports, immigration enforcement in Arizona detained a US citizen for nearly ten days. Jose Hermosillo, 19, a New Mexico resident visiting Arizona, was apprehended by border patrol officers in Nogales, near the Mexican border south of Tucson. This incident of wrongful detainment comes amid escalating Trump administration actions targeting immigrants.
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Senator Van Hollen Advocates for Due Process in Deportation Case. Senator Chris Van Hollen, after visiting El Salvador to meet Kilmar Ábrego García, the focus of a wrongful deportation controversy, declared his support for García’s due process rights. He argued that denying these rights undermines constitutional protections for all US individuals. Despite White House claims of Ábrego García’s connection to MS-13, no gang-related charges have been filed, and the Supreme Court has mandated his return to the US.
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Klobuchar Warns of Approaching Constitutional Crisis. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar cautioned of a growing constitutional crisis in the US. Speaking on Sunday, she suggested that while courts, Republican concern over Trump policies, and public protests are currently acting as checks, the situation is precarious. “If these courts hold firm, and the public and congress stand up, our democracy will persevere,” Klobuchar stated on CNN, while asserting that “Donald Trump seeks to drag us into a crisis.”
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Healey: Trump’s Harvard Attacks Harm US Competitiveness. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stated that President Trump’s attacks on Harvard University and similar institutions are causing detrimental consequences. These include research lab closures and hospital funding cuts. In a CBS interview, Healey, a Democrat, warned these actions damage “American competitiveness,” as researchers seek opportunities abroad, resulting in the loss of “intellectual assets” developed over decades of investment.
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Proposed State Department Overhaul Under Trump. A draft executive order from the Trump administration reportedly proposes a radical restructuring of the US State Department, including significant reductions in sub-Saharan operations, envoys, and bureaus dealing with climate, refugees, human rights, democracy, and gender equality. Bloomberg reports this 16-page draft, if implemented, could be the most extensive reorganization of the department since its founding in 1789.