US defense chief shared Yemen war plans in chat with wife, brother: Report

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly shared sensitive information regarding a March military strike on Yemen's Houthis through a private Signal chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer, according to a source familiar with the matter, speaking to Reuters on Sunday.

This revelation of a second Signal chat raises further concerns about Hegseth's use of an unclassified messaging platform to exchange critical national security details. It comes at a time when his position is under scrutiny following the recent ousting of several senior Pentagon officials in connection with an internal leak probe.

The contents of this second chat reportedly mirrored the details previously exposed by The Atlantic, which had uncovered similar information last month. That incident involved a separate, embarrassing leak in which Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal chat with senior national security officials under the Trump administration.

The source, speaking anonymously, stated that the second Signal chat, which included roughly a dozen individuals, was originally set up during Hegseth's confirmation process to handle administrative matters, not military operations. However, it soon included highly sensitive details, such as the scheduled airstrike timings.

Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, has been seen at sensitive meetings with foreign military officials. Pentagon photos from a meeting between Hegseth and his British counterpart in March showed her seated behind him. Hegseth’s brother, a liaison with the Department of Homeland Security, was also reportedly part of the chat.

The Trump administration has been aggressive in its efforts to combat leaks, a stance that Hegseth has strongly supported within the Pentagon. However, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed media reports, claiming without evidence that the media was merely amplifying the complaints of disgruntled former employees.