Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned that individuals found leaking sensitive information from within the Pentagon — including those who disclosed details from a second Signal group chat where Hegseth reportedly discussed strikes on the Houthis — will be prosecuted.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, The New York Times recently claimed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive operational details about US military strikes in Yemen—specifically flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis—in a private Signal chat titled “Defense | Team Huddle.” The chat, which Hegseth accessed using his personal phone, included his wife Jennifer (who has no official government role), his brother Phil (a Pentagon adviser), and Timothy Parlatore (his former lawyer who was involved in his Senate confirmation hearing and then began working for the Pentagon a week before the strikes in Yemen kicked off). While initially created to discuss administrative and scheduling matters before Hegseth’s confirmation, the chat reportedly evolved into a space where sensitive military discussions came up.

What’s going on now: Amid growing criticism over leaks and alleged misconduct at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned that individuals found responsible for leaking sensitive information will be prosecuted. “We’re going to investigate, and when we investigate, we’ll take it anywhere it leads,” Hegseth said during a live interview on Fox & Friends. “When that evidence is gathered sufficiently — and this has all happened very quickly — it will be handed over to the DOJ, and those people will be prosecuted if necessary.”

Hegseth also confirmed that three senior staffers—Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll—were recently dismissed as part of the leak investigation. While he stopped short of presenting evidence, he accused the former staffers of deliberately undermining the administration’s national security agenda, claiming, “Those folks who are leaking, who have been pushed out of the building, are now attempting to leak and sabotage the president’s agenda and what we’re doing.”

The dismissed staffers, however, have pushed back against Hegseth’s allegations. In a joint statement posted on April 19, they claimed they had not been informed of any specific allegations or whether an investigation was even real. One of the dismissed aides, Dan Caldwell, also appeared in a video interview with Tucker Carlson to deny the accusations, suggesting the firings were politically motivated or intended to silence internal critics.

This has led to notable fractures among some Republican lawmakers. On Monday, Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska, became the first Republican to say that Hegseth should be removed from his post. “If it’s true that he had another chat with his family about the missions against the Houthis, it’s totally unacceptable. It looks like there’s a meltdown going on. There’s a lot — a lot — of smoke coming out of the Pentagon, and I got to believe there’s some fire there somewhere.”

He added, “I had concerns from the get-go because Pete Hegseth didn’t have a lot of experience… I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in charge.”

This all comes as the Trump administration has repeatedly said it still has confidence in Secretary Hegseth, dismissing reports that it is considering his replacement. In response to an NPR article claiming that the White House was quietly searching for a new defense secretary, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the report “fake news.”

President Donald Trump also defended Hegseth during the White House Easter Egg Roll, telling reporters, “Pete is doing a great job. Ask the Houthis how he’s doing.”