US lawmaker presses Pentagon chief on Signal chat

WASHINGTON

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday was faced with sharp questions by a lawmaker demanding answers about Signal group chat detailing the military’s plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.

At a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton asked Hegseth whether he shared classified information on Signal app.

"It's not classified to disclose whether or not it was classified, and in fact, DOD regulations state that any classified information has to be labeled with its classification, was it classified secret or top secret," Moulton said.

Hegseth replied: "What's not classified is that it was an incredibly successful mission against the Houthis."

"Are you trying to say that the information was unclassified?" Moulton asked.

"Not," Hegseth said, before Moulton interrupted him: "Okay, that's what I thought. You're not saying that. So, you took classified information from Central Command that had a classification marking on it, because that's what's required by DOD regulations, and you put it on an unclassified system."

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, said he had been inadvertently included in a messaging group where Vice President JD Vance, former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Hegseth and other senior officials discussed plans for an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen hours before it took place on March 15.

The “Signalgate” incident raised questions about the administration's handling of classified military information after sensitive details about weapons packages, targets, and timing were said to be shared on the unsecured platform.

Moulton dug on the classification and asked Hegseth whether he would take accountability.

"Both you smiling there in the witness seat and to all of us up here that the information was, in fact, classified. Do you plan to take any accountability for that?" Moulton asked.

"As I said at the time congressman, there were no names, targets, locations, units, routes, sources, methods, no classified information," Hegseth responded.

Hegseth said the Houthis were held accountable and hailed the actions of the US troops.

"I'm just asking if accountability applies to you. It's a very simple question," Moulton said.

"Of course. I serve at the pleasure of the president like everybody else does," Hegseth replied.

"So it only applies to the president not to you?" Moulton said in return, changing the topic.