‘Signalgate’ report lands today, intensifying fight over Hegseth’s messaging
The Defense Department Inspector General’s report on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal for strike planning is slated for release today. The review follows months of controversy over whether Hegseth’s personal-phone messages risked operational security and violated Pentagon policy, as officials dispute that any classified information was shared.
According to the Pentagon’s findings, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a personal cellphone and the Signal app to transmit nonpublic operational details about U.S. strikes, violating Defense Department policy and creating an operational-security risk that “could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots.”
The IG said some information Hegseth sent on March 15, 2025, matched material U.S. Central Command had classified “SECRET//NOFORN.”
Investigators concluded Hegseth’s actions did not comply with DOD Instruction 8170.01, which bars use of personal devices for official business and nonapproved commercial messaging apps for nonpublic departmental information.
The IG said he sent details identifying the quantity and strike times of manned U.S. aircraft over hostile territory on an unapproved, unsecured network two-to-four hours before the operation. This practice risked compromising sensitive information and harming personnel or mission objectives.
What exactly did the report document?
The IG found that some of Hegseth’s Signal messages “matched” operational information that CENTCOM had transmitted via secure channels and portion-marked as classified.
Hegseth declined an interview; in a statement to the IG he argued that, as an original classification authority, he could determine what required protection and that he had provided an “unclassified summary.”
The report also says officials described additional Signal group chats used for official business and that Hegseth did not grant access to his personal phone, limiting the IG’s ability to verify content from those other threads.
Did the IG recommend penalties?
The IG made no new recommendations specific to Hegseth’s Signal use, calling it one instance of a broader, department-wide issue. Instead, the report points to a companion review (DODIG-2026-022) urging improved training and implementation of information-security and records-retention procedures for senior officials.
The report does, however, recommend CENTCOM’s Special Security Office review classification portion-marking procedures and training.
How are officials and lawmakers reacting?
A Pentagon spokesperson and Hegseth have characterized the findings as confirming that “no classified information was shared,” while critics note the IG’s determination that his actions created OPSEC risk and violated policy, according to reporting by ABC News and The Washington Post.
Congressional reactions were split: some Republicans emphasized his declassification authority. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the IG report “a damning review” in a statement.
What else did investigators uncover?
According to officials interviewed by the IG, Hegseth’s office facilitated installation of a system that let him access his personal phone from inside his secure Pentagon office, mirroring the device outside the secure space, while additional Signal groups allegedly included non-DOD participants and tasking for official work.
What’s next
The IG says adherence to the department-wide training and records recommendations would address the deficiencies identified in this case. Lawmakers have already opened separate reviews into other operations overseen by Hegseth.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
