Reed: SecDef Leadership Falters On 2nd Airstrike Text

WASHINGTON, DC — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faces a second  report, by the New York Times, of his unsecure Signal App transmissions about fighter jet strikes in Yemen to personal contacts, compromising SecDef leadership among U.S. service members, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, (D-RI), said.

President Donald Trump’s cabinet pick, less than four months into the job, is already the subject of an intelligence leak scandal after accidentally texting the war plans to Atlantic Editor-In-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, including “precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing,” of F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen on March 15, hours before the airstrike occurred.

The new report concerns a second text transmission of those details to a group of personal contacts including Hegseth’s wife, brother and lawyer.

Reed Continues SecDef Leadership Skepticism

Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voiced doubt that Hegseth was up to the task during his confirmation in January, passed with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance after a 50-50 vote in the U.S. Senate.

“Mr. Hegseth, I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Reed said at the time, “We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you.  A variety of sources – including your own writings – implicate you with disregarding laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other troubling issues.  I have reviewed many of these allegations, and find them extremely alarming.”

Following the new report, Reed said,  “If true, this incident is another troubling example of Secretary Hegseth’s reckless disregard for the laws and protocols that every other military service member is required to follow. He must immediately explain why he reportedly texted classified information that could endanger American servicemembers’ lives on a commercial app that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. I urge the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General to include this latest incident in its ongoing investigation of Mr. Hegseth’s mishandling of classified information.”

“Since he was nominated, I have warned that Mr. Hegseth lacks the experience, competence, and character to run the Department of Defense. In light of the ongoing chaos, dysfunction, and mass firings under Mr. Hegseth’s leadership, it seems that those objections were well-founded. Accountability starts at the top, and I have grave concerns about Secretary Hegseth’s ability to maintain the trust and confidence of U.S. service members.”

Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.