Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces fresh scrutiny after reports emerged over the weekend that alleged the existence of a second Signal chat group where military plans against the Houthis were allegedly shared.
The newly revealed group — distinct from the earlier “Signalgate” group that included Vice President JD Vance — reportedly included Hegseth’s wife and brother, neither of whom have top security clearances.
The second Signal chat story comes as Hegseth’s Defense Department is rumored to be in convulsions, as top former Pentagon officials have been fired for reasons they say remain unknown to them.
In an X post on Saturday that he claimed was a joint statement from Colin Carroll (fired Chief of Staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg), Darin Selnick (fired Deputy Chief of Staff to Hegseth) and himself, fired Pentagon Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell accused the Pentagon brass of “slander” — writing that “unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.”
All three men have been been targets of a whisper campaign pinning leaks on them, an accusation Caldwell acknowledges in scare-quoting the “leaks” in his post, while asking “if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with.”
Joint statement from Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darin Selnick:
We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door. All…
— Dan Caldwell
(@dandcaldwell) April 19, 2025
Adding to the speculation that Hegseth is under fire, the beltway journalist Kyle Cheney reported that the Pentagon was in “total chaos.”
The Pentagon is in “total chaos” and Pete Hegseth is unlikely to remain in his role, according to its former top spokesperson, who painted a scene of dysfunction, backstabbing and continuous missteps at the highest levels of the department.
“The building is in disarray under…
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 20, 2025
Cheney pointed to reporting by Politico’s Paul McLeary, who quoted former chief Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot’s op-ed on Sunday, in which he asserted that because President Trump had a “strong record” of holding his top officials to account, it is “hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.”
Further reporting by Politico quoted an unnamed “senior official” as saying “There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership.”
Caldwell has strong supporters in the comments on his post, including combat veteran Daniel Davis, who writes: “I find it very troubling that we still don’t even know what you are *alleged* to b under investigation for, bc you don’t even know what to defend against.”
You have proven to be a man of honor, integrity, courage, and incredible talent, Dan. I find it very troubling that we still don’t even know what you are *alleged* to b under investigation for, bc you don’t even know what to defend against.
You have my strongest support!
— Daniel Davis Deep Dive (@DanielLDavis1) April 19, 2025
At the same time, the statement is being met with MAGA blowback, such as expressed by Hans Mahncke, who centers his support for Hegseth — despite Signalgate — in the idea that because Democrats want him removed he must be doing something right.
Probably the best metric for who’s doing the best job is how desperately the media and Democrats want them fired. By that standard, Pete Hegseth is in a league of his own right now.
— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) April 21, 2025
[NOTE: Hegseth, a TV host and National Guard veteran with limited administrative experience, was a controversial choice for the role and won confirmation in the Senate 51-50, needing VP Vance’s tie-breaking vote.]