Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) stopped just short of calling on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be removed Monday following a new report that alleges the secretary shared detailed military plans in a group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
“If it’s true that he had another [Signal] chat with his family about the missions against the Houthis, it’s totally unacceptable,” Bacon told Politico, adding, “I’m not in the White House, and I’m not going to tell the White House how to manage this … but I find it unacceptable, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in charge.”
Bacon’s remarks come after The New York Times reported on a previously undisclosed Signal group chat, in which Hegseth allegedly shared detailed information about forthcoming military strikes in Yemen on March 15.
The group chat reportedly included his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, who is a former Fox News producer and does not work at the Pentagon. It also included Hegseth’s brother and personal lawyer, both of whom work at the Pentagon but, the Times reported, “it is not clear why either would need to know about upcoming military strikes aimed at the Houthis in Yemen.”
Hegseth has previously come under intense scrutiny for sharing similar details with top national security officials in a Signal chat that inadvertently included the top editor of The Atlantic.
Bacon said the Times reporting only underscored previous concerns he had about Hegseth, who is a former Fox News host and Army veteran.
“I had concerns from the get-go because Pete Hegseth didn’t have a lot of experience,” Bacon told Politico.
“I like him on Fox,” he continued. “But does he have the experience to lead one of the largest organizations in the world? That’s a concern.”
The White House has defended Hegseth amid a wave of renewed criticism following the weekend reports.
“He is doing a great job. … Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump told reporters on the south lawn of the White House during the annual Easter Egg Roll.
Trump touted strong military recruitment numbers under Hegseth and waved off the latest controversies.
“It’s just fake news,” Trump said. “They just bring up stories. I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees. You know, he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people.”
The White House also pushed back against an NPR report that the White House is already searching for Hegseth’s replacement.
“This @NPR story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind @SecDef,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on the social platform X.
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