Hegseth had Signal messaging app installed on an office computer

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the installation of Signal, a commercially available messaging app, on a desktop computer in his Pentagon office, said three people familiar with the matter, illustrating the extent to which he has integrated use of the unclassified communications platform at the center of his political troubles with the highly secure systems the U.S. government relies on to safeguard military plans and other sensitive information.

In doing so, Hegseth effectively “cloned” the Signal app on his personal cellphone, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an issue that has hounded the Trump administration for weeks. The move followed a discussion among Hegseth and his aides about how they could circumvent the lack of cellphone service in much of the Pentagon and more quickly coordinate with the White House and other top Trump officials using the encrypted app, they added.

Hegseth’s decision earlier this year to install Signal on a desktop computer in the Pentagon was a work-around that enabled him to use Signal in a classified space, where his cellphone and other personal electronics are not permitted, and communicate with ease with anyone — other government officials or his family — who is outside of the imposing military headquarters.

Other aides, including Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s chief of staff at the time, also voiced interest in using Signal on Pentagon computers, but it is unclear how widely the app’s use proliferated, said those familiar with the matter. It’s also unclear whether Hegseth and his team of political advisers has adhered to U.S. law that would require them to preserve such messages.

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, said in a statement that the defense secretary’s use of communications systems and channels is classified, but that his office can confirm Hegseth “has never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer.”

Two of the people familiar with Hegseth’s work habits said he had Signal installed on a second computer in his office. He also had interest in the installation of a program to send conventional text messages from the office, they added.

Hegseth’s usage of Signal has become a growing crisis for the Pentagon after revelations that the defense secretary last month used it to share sensitive details about a forthcoming military operation in Yemen. He did so in one Signal group that was set up by the White House national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and in a smaller one that Hegseth himself established for himself, his wife, his brother, his personal lawyer and several aides.

Signal was first approved for limited use within the U.S. government by the Biden administration in 2023, but classified information and other highly sensitive material is not supposed to be shared there.

The Trump administration has defended its usage of Signal to conduct official business, with some leaders suggesting the app is now commonplace within the government. Last month, CIA Director John Ratcliffe told lawmakers during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that the app is installed on some of his agency’s computers.

Its usage is less common, though, in the Pentagon, where few were aware Hegseth had the program installed on an office computer, said those familiar with the matter.

“Signalgate,” as it’s come to be known, erupted last month, when the Atlantic magazine reported that Waltz errantly included its top editor in the Signal group to coordinate the administration’s assault on Iran-backed militants in Yemen. The chat included nearly 20 senior administration officials, including Waltz, Hegseth, Ratcliffe, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The senior officials deliberated on administration policy and, having earned Trump’s approval to conduct the operation, Hegseth divulged when the strikes would occur, what types of aircraft and weapons would be employed — and critically, the specific times U.S. service members would be in harm’s way.

Former defense officials have said that such information would almost certainly have been classified, undercutting Hegseth’s claims to the contrary as he has mounted an increasingly combative campaign to stave off the mounting scrutiny and remain in Trump’s good graces.

In the aftermath, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), requested a Defense Department inspector general review of Hegseth’s use of Signal. The inspector general’s office agreed this month to take up the case.

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that Hegseth also shared similar details about the Yemen operation in another Signal group that included his wife, Jennifer; his brother, Phil, and his personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore. Jennifer Hegseth has no relevant role in the Defense Department, while Phil Hegseth serves in the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security appointee. Parlatore, a military defense attorney, recently rejoined the Navy with an assignment to improve military justice issues.

The scrutiny facing Hegseth has coincided with infighting at the Pentagon that spilled into the open last week, raising new questions about Hegseth’s ability to manage the largest federal agency despite no previous executive experience in government. Numerous Democrats and at least one Republican have called for his resignation, and even some of Hegseth’s advocates have begun to wonder how long he will keep his job.

Last week, Hegseth fired three senior aides and has accused them of leaking sensitive information: Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick. Caldwell was a senior adviser to Hegseth, while Carroll was the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg and Selnick was Hegseth’s deputy chief of staff. The three former aides said in a joint statement on Saturday that they were being slandered, a remarkable twist considering Hegseth, Caldwell and Selnick were associated for years.

Kasper also is departing from his role, Hegseth acknowledged Tuesday in an interview on Fox News. The Pentagon has not said who will serve as chief of staff instead.

Hegseth has voiced anger and defensiveness, criticizing Caldwell, Carroll and Selnick along with the news media for scrutinizing the secretary’s judgment. Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, he suggested that “those very same people keep leaking to the very same reporters” to “sabotage the agenda” that Trump and Hegseth seek to advance.

Trump has defended Hegseth, saying this week that the former Fox News personality is “doing a great job.” But others with credibility within the Defense Department continue to raise concerns about Hegseth.

Adm. William McRaven, the retired Navy SEAL officer who oversaw the raid that killed al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden, said Tuesday in a CNN interview that Hegseth’s team has not handled the controversy well and “clearly, the information broadcast on Signal was classified.” McRaven urged Hegseth to accept responsibility for his mistakes and to lean more heavily on military officers and other defense officials who are trustworthy, but willing to tell him things he does not want to hear.

“You have to have a little swagger and you have to have a little confidence, but once again, you better have a little humility going into a job like this,” McRaven said. “Because if you don’t, it’s going to humble you pretty quickly.”