Democrat Senator for New Jersey Andy Kim said: “I cannot believe Pete Hegseth would recklessly text info that could put a target on our pilots and service members. he needs to resign”
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been told to “resign” after his Signal account shared “reckless” attack plans that his critics said could “put a target” on pilots during the mission.
Democrat Senator for New Jersey Andy Kim said Mr Hegseth acted “recklessly” after his account texted times when American pilots would carry out strikes in Yemen earlier this month. In the “team update” group chat on Signal, Mr Hegseth said F-18s would launch multiple strikes while being supported by drones that would be deployed against targets.
The leaked chats have proved to be a major embarrassment for the Trump administration with chat members, including Mr Hegseth hitting out at critics, despite White House officials confirming the authenticity of his claims. Mr Hegseth repeatedly denied texting attack plans in the Signal group chat that included The Atlantic magazine’s Jeffrey Goldberg.
“This new signal chat is shocking,” Sen. Kim said. “Clearly incredibly sensitive and classified information. As someone who worked in the Situation Room before, I cannot believe Hegseth would recklessly text info that could put a target on our pilots and service members. he needs to resign.”
The Mirror has contacted Sen. Kim and the White House for comment via email. The Trump administration has worked to contain the fallout from Signalgate with members previously claiming no classified information had been shared in the chat.
The chat did not include the name of specific targets, although the timings of operations were included.
National Security adviser Mike Waltz, who has been accused of adding Mr Goldberg to the chat, downplayed the significance of the leaks.
Taking to X/Twitter earlier today, he said: “No locations. No sources and methods. NO WAR PLANS. Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent.”
Mr Waltz said billionaire and adviser to Mr Trump is carrying out an investigation into how the journalist was added to the group chat. Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, he said: “We’re going to get to the bottom of it. I just talked to Elon on the way here. We’ve got the best technical minds looking at how this happened.
“But I can tell you, I can tell you for 100 per cent I don’t know this guy. I know him by his horrible reputation and he really is the bottom scum of journalists. And I know him in the sense that he hates the president. And I don’t text him.
“He wasn’t on my phone and we’re gonna figure out how this happened.”
Mr Hegseth told reporters on Tuesday: “Nobody’s texting war plans and that is all I have to say about that. The strikes against the Houthis that night were devastatingly effective.
“And I’m incredibly proud of the courage and skill of the troops. And they are ongoing and continue to be devastatingly affected.”
