A Pentagon inspector general concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth endangered U.S. servicemembers by sharing sensitive military information via the encrypted messaging app Signal, according to a source who reviewed a forthcoming inspector general report. The investigation was led by Pentagon Inspector General Steven Stebbins.
The probe began after an Atlantic reporter disclosed in March that he had been added to a Signal chat in which Hegseth and other senior officials discussed plans for U.S. airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. A summary of the inspector general’s findings provided to NPR said that if a foreign adversary had intercepted the material discussed in the chat, it would have put personnel and the mission at risk.
The report says Hegseth posted information about targets, timing and aircraft to two Signal groups, one of which included his wife and brother, in violation of Pentagon rules that bar use of personal phones for official business. Investigators say Hegseth declined an in-person interview and submitted only a written response to the inquiry.
In that written response, Hegseth asserted he had the authority to declassify information. The inspector general did not make a determination about whether the messages had been declassified when shared but noted that the secretary of defense possesses declassification authority. The summary also reports that Hegseth told investigators he viewed the probe as political and expressed distrust of Stebbins.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement saying the review cleared Hegseth. “The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along — no classified information was shared. This matter is resolved, and the case is closed,” Parnell said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt likewise defended the administration’s handling of sensitive information, saying the review “affirms what the Administration has said from the beginning — no classified information was leaked, and operational security was not compromised,” and reiterated that President Trump supports Hegseth.
The review was opened in April after requests from Senate Armed Services Committee leaders Republican Roger Wicker and Democrat Jack Reed. According to the summary, Hegseth provided only part of his Signal messages, forcing investigators to rely largely on screenshots of the chat published by The Atlantic.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly criticized Hegseth’s use of a personal phone and an unsecured app for Defense Department information, saying adversaries could obtain and pass on such material and put lives at risk.
The report arrives amid separate scrutiny of Hegseth over administration strikes on vessels in the Caribbean suspected of carrying drugs to the U.S., including one strike that raised questions about whether U.S. forces fired on survivors — an action some experts say could amount to a war crime if the administration’s characterization of being at war with narcotraffickers is accepted.
Hegseth’s tenure has been contentious: critics have highlighted his background as an Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, and his lack of experience compared with past defense secretaries. Since taking office, he has dismissed several senior officials, imposed new restrictions on transgender troops and veterans, and rebranded the agency as the Department of War. The White House has continued to express confidence in him.
NPR notes that Katherine Maher, NPR’s CEO, chairs the board of the Signal Foundation. Gabriel Sanchez contributed reporting.