The Trump admin was flying high for the first few months. Now the honeymoon is over.
As the Trump admin is breaking out into civil war due to a controversial investigation announcement.
Pentagon Probe into Hegseth’s Signal Chat Opened Up By DOD Inspector General
The Pentagon’s inspector general has kicked off an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, digging into whether he crossed any lines by discussing military attack plans in a private Signal chat. This comes after a juicy scoop from The Atlantic put the Trump administration’s national security team under the microscope. For a White House that’s all about decisive action and keeping America’s enemies on their toes, this probe is just another day at the office—though it’s raising eyebrows in Washington.
According to a memo from acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins, the investigation will zero in on whether Hegseth improperly shared operational details about a U.S. offensive targeting the Houthis in Yemen. Beyond that, Stebbins is also checking if Hegseth and his crew stuck to the rules on classification and record-keeping. It’s a thorough look, no doubt, but Trump’s team isn’t sweating it—they’ve got a job to do, and they’re not here to play defense.
The whole thing got rolling last week when the Senate Armed Services Committee’s top dogs, Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), called for answers. “This chat was alleged to have included classified information pertaining to sensitive military discussions in Yemen,” they wrote in a letter to Stebbins. “If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss classified and sensitive information.” Fair enough—nobody wants secrets spilling out. But let’s not forget: the Trump administration has a track record of getting results, not just dotting i’s and crossing t’s.
DOD Inspector General launches investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal App and handling of classified information. pic.twitter.com/8w6VNJKYOK
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) April 3, 2025
Here’s the backstory: Hegseth was in a Signal chat started by national security adviser Michael Waltz, looping in principal advisers to President Trump. Last month, he fired off details about a strike on Yemen’s Houthi rebels—think F-18s, MQ-9 drones, and Tomahawk missiles. Problem is, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally in the mix. Oops. Still, the Trump crew isn’t blinking—mistakes happen when you’re moving fast to keep America safe.
Stebbins, who’s been the acting Pentagon watchdog since Trump cleaned house and axed 17 inspectors general early in his term, isn’t messing around. His memo to Hegseth asked for two points of contact and said the investigation would span Washington, D.C., and U.S. Central Command HQ in Tampa. It’s a big operation, but then again, so is running the world’s most powerful military under a president who doesn’t back down.
So, what did Hegseth actually say? The messages, as reported, were straight-up play-by-play. “1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package),” he typed, giving the chat a heads-up that the attack was underway. Then: “1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s).” The guy was on it, keeping the team in the loop as the mission unfolded.
He didn’t stop there. “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package),” he added, followed by “1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets).” Later, at “1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.” Hegseth wrapped it up with “MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)” and “We are currently clean on OPSEC.” That’s operational security, for the uninitiated—meaning no leaks, no slip-ups, at least in his view.
Waltz chimed in later with the victory lap: “The first target—their top missile guy—was positively ID’d walking into his girlfriend’s building. It’s now collapsed.” Mission accomplished. That’s the Trump way—hit hard, win big, and let the chips fall where they may. The Houthis have been a thorn in the side of U.S. interests, and this strike sent a message: not on Trump’s watch.
Now, the administration’s pushing back hard against the idea that anything shady went down. “No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS,” Waltz posted on X last week. They’re doubling down: this was coordination, not a classified intel dump. Hegseth and Waltz aren’t rookies—they know the game, and they’re not about to hand America’s enemies a playbook.
Let’s be real: government bigwigs use Signal all the time. It’s fast, it’s encrypted, and it works when you’re not holed up in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF). Does that mean every chat’s a security breach waiting to happen? Hardly. The Trump team’s argument is simple: they were executing a mission, not spilling state secrets. Context matters, and they’re betting the investigation proves them right.
Critics might say this is reckless, but supporters see it differently. Trump’s administration isn’t about bureaucracy—it’s about action. Hegseth and Waltz were keeping the president’s inner circle in the know while taking out a terrorist threat. If that means a few feathers get ruffled over protocol, so be it. The bad guys don’t wait for paperwork, and neither does this White House.
The most important judge in this situation, President Donald Trump himself, has said that he doesn’t believe there was any nefarious behavior here or even any accidental leakage of classified materials. He has called the news story a “witch hunt” that doesn’t mean anything for Hegseth.
Trump: "Hegseth is doing a great job. He had nothing to do this. How do you bring Hegseth into it? He had nothing to do with it. Look, it's all a witch hunt … I think Signal could be defective to be honest with you." pic.twitter.com/DXuRgo4HJJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2025
At the end of the day, this investigation will run its course. Stebbins will poke around, the Senate will huff and puff, and the Trump team will keep doing what they do: running the show their way. The Houthi strike worked, the target’s down, and America’s enemies got a reminder of who’s in charge. That’s the story here—not some Signal chat slip-up. Expect Hegseth to come out swinging, and the administration to keep its eyes on the prize: making America great, one mission at a time.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
