Security Breach: What are the Implications of the New Leak Involving the U.S. Secretary of Defense?

On April 24, 2025, the Washington Post reported, citing three informed sources, that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had installed the encrypted messaging app “Signal” on his personal device within the Department of Defense. This comes after the revelation, for the second time, that the Secretary had sent information regarding strikes carried out in Yemen last March, obtained from General Eric Kurilla, to his brother, wife, and personal attorney. This prompted the White House to defend him again, as Hegseth himself confirmed that the information shared via Signal with his relatives, as well as that which was discussed with a journalist from “The Atlantic,” Jeffrey Goldberg, who was mistakenly added to a chat group with senior federal officials, was “not classified” and meant for general dissemination to the media as it was deemed “informal.”

Despite these justifications, the White House and the Secretary of Defense faced criticism, especially since several retired officers and other members of the U.S. Congress asserted that this information is considered “top secret” and should not be shared on such applications; as the disclosure could jeopardize the American strikes directed at Yemeni territory.

Implications of the Disclosure

A number of ramifications are expected from the circulation of this incident on American and global news platforms, both for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and for the federal administration as a whole, which can be outlined as follows:

Doubt about Communication Reliability within the Department of Defense: The use of unofficial applications like Signal for communications concerning military operations could raise concerns about adherence to security and informational protocols within the Pentagon. Given that leaks could potentially affect U.S. military movements, this could lead to negative implications for U.S. national security.

Some military experts, some of whom previously worked at the Pentagon, believe that the Pentagon’s focus over the past month on addressing the fallout from this conversation, responding to media and political criticism, and now dealing with another similar issue, could distract its attention and negatively affect its ability to safeguard U.S. national security. This is particularly important as other leaks have previously led to the dismissal of three officials, related to Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon to discuss war plans with China, intelligence gathering in Ukraine, military plans related to the Panama Canal, and an increase in U.S. naval forces in the Middle East, which the White House denied.

Risks to Relations with Allies in Joint Operations: The leaking of information about American military movements may undermine the trust of allies and regional partners, especially if the matter is perceived as a threat to the security of joint operations. Such leaks could be interpreted as a breach of coordination or a disregard for the sensitivity of shared information in operations, which weakens mutual trust, especially in complex issues like the war against the Houthi militia in Yemen. Participating countries in military alliances may fear future leaks regarding plans or outcomes of operations, which could lead them to reduce cooperation or impose stricter restrictions on information sharing with the U.S. side to avoid a repeat of such leaks.

Increased Likelihood of Ousting the U.S. Secretary of Defense: Despite the White House, as well as President Donald Trump, affirming their total support for the Secretary of Defense, who is working hard to fulfill his duties, the frequency of errors and leaks that expose Hegseth’s lack of professionalism suggests that Trump may soon dismiss him. Trump is not inclined to maintain individuals in his administration who provoke controversy or face recurring criticism, indicating a negative impact on Hegseth’s political future.

It should be noted that several U.S. officers have previously lost their jobs for sharing battlefield information, including a Marine officer who urgently resorted to an unsecured communication channel to protect his colleagues from an ambush in Afghanistan, suggesting that the chances of the Secretary of Defense being ousted are increasing.

Pressure on the Justice Department to Investigate the Secretary of Defense: According to American military experts, the Justice Department should investigate the Secretary of Defense for his recent breaches, even if the conversation where a journalist was mistakenly added might be overlooked; since the group included individuals from the administration holding security clearances that allowed them access to war plans through secure channels. However, now, neither his wife, brother, nor even his personal attorney hold security clearances to access such plans, making it essential to hold the Secretary accountable. It is noteworthy that ABC News indicates that his brother and attorney work at the Department of Defense, enabling them to access this information. However, since the Justice Department is under Trump’s jurisdiction, it will be challenging for the department to proceed with an investigation unless the president pushes for it.

Continued Breaches by the Secretary of Defense Due to Lack of Accountability: The absence of accountability for the Secretary of Defense or any reprimand from the president will embolden him to commit more security breaches in the future. Consequently, several members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, including Democratic Senator Jack Reed and Republican Representative Don Bacon, have called for an investigation into Hegseth, with some demanding his resignation. Bacon remarked that, “He acts as if he is above the law, which depicts an amateurish character,” especially since he resorted to using his personal phone for sharing such sensitive information. Moreover, others have pointed out that what is happening now is a foreseeable consequence of passing a vote on a high office without the approval of the majority of senators, considering Hegseth lacked the experience necessary for the position.

However, if he is also not held accountable this time and maintains his position, it affirms he will continue in the same manner in the future, much like Trump, who has occasionally used his account on the social media platform Truth Social to announce certain decisions and direct criticisms at various figures, despite the U.S. president being expected to use different channels and tools to announce diverse decisions.

Affirming Double Standards in Handling Officials: The push for the investigation and dismissal of lower-level officials or even second-tier officials within the Department of Defense — including the three officials: Colin Carroll, Dan Caldwell, and Darren Silnick, who were recently dismissed due to Pentagon-related leaks, stating that they were “smeared” and “not informed of the nature of the leaked information” — while overlooking the errors of senior leadership will confirm a double standard in the dealings of the U.S. administration. This issue is not limited to the Trump administration; it has occurred in previous administrations where senior officials used insecure communication channels without facing accountability, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Mike Pence during Trump’s first term, as well as the presidents themselves, including Trump and Biden, which creates internal tensions among junior employees who will feel unfairly targeted for accountability and job losses, even facing legal trials, thus limiting their ability to work and contribute effectively.

Potential Impact on Trump’s Support Base: Some beliefs suggest that the numerous errors of the current administration, related to a lack of professionalism in managing various operations, will affect Trump’s support base. However, the more impactful factor on the electoral base will be the economic situation of citizens within the United States and their ability to cope with the anticipated waves of inflation due to the high tariffs imposed by Trump on various countries, particularly China, which is one of the largest trade partners of the United States. Regarding the impact on U.S. national security, recurring such behavior could be exploited by adversarial nations; as Representative Don Bacon mentioned, “Russia and China have deployed thousands of people to monitor all these phone calls at the highest levels, and the first target after the president… will be the Secretary of Defense.” Therefore, the success of countries like Russia and China in thwarting Washington’s various plans or striking U.S. targets worldwide, leading to human and material losses, will significantly impact the Trump administration, especially from those who elected him to protect U.S. national security.

Increasing Turmoil

In conclusion, this incident and others involving the administration indicate that the Secretary of Defense lacks the necessary experience for the role. Although Trump remains committed to him, it is not improbable that he may be ousted soon, particularly since Trump is preoccupied with various issues and will not seek to exacerbate the controversy and criticisms directed at him. On another note, the resignation of several officials within the Department of Defense also indicates that the Pentagon may become more disoriented during Trump’s and Hegseth’s leadership if he continues down this path.