Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, reacted strongly to a New York Times report alleging a second security breach linked to him.
This report follows the earlier “Signalgate” controversy, where Hegseth reportedly shared sensitive information about military operations in Yemen in a private Signal group chat that included family members and associates.
The New York Times detailed that on March 15, Hegseth shared flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.
This breach was particularly concerning as it mirrored a previous incident where he inadvertently included an editor from The Atlantic in another chat.
During an interview on the White House lawn, coinciding with the Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth dismissed the report as another attempt by the media to undermine him.
He accused the Times of perpetuating “hit pieces” based on anonymous sources, which he believes are often disgruntled former employees with personal agendas.
Hegseth stated, “What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax.”
He criticized the Times for not returning their Pulitzer Prizes, which he claims were awarded for misleading stories.
Defending his actions, Hegseth emphasized his commitment to reforming the Defense Department and insisted that he would not be deterred by negative media coverage.
He expressed pride in his work and reiterated his focus on serving the American public, particularly the military.
As he concluded, he expressed enthusiasm for spending time with his family during the Easter festivities, maintaining that his mission continues despite the media scrutiny.
[READ MORE: Interim IRS Leader Outsted]
