House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries demands Pete Hegseth be fired over leaked group chat

David Matthews, New York Daily News on Mar 25, 2025

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is demanding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “be fired immediately” following a leaked group chat that included plans to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“Pete Hegseth is the most unqualified secretary of defense in American history,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday. “His continued presence in the top position of leadership at the Pentagon threatens the nation’s security and puts our brave men and women in uniform throughout the world in danger.”

According to Jeffries, the “so-called” secretary of defense acted “recklessly and casually” when he discussed explicit details of sensitive war plans in an unsecure group chat that “inexplicably” included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.

“His behavior shocks the conscience, risked American lives and likely violated the law,” the New York congressman wrote. “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth should be fired immediately.”

Jeffries’ letter comes a day after a bombshell report in The Atlantic titled “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.” In it, Goldberg detailed a group chat on the messaging app Signal, in which a military attack plan against the Houthis was discussed mere hours before being carried out on March 15.

“I could not believe that the national security leadership of the United States would communicate on Signal about imminent war plans,” Goldberg wrote. “I have never seen a breach quite like this.”

The chat reportedly included high-level Trump officials like Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and national security adviser Michael Waltz.

Goldberg claimed he was invited to the chat by Waltz — an allegation that was denied on Tuesday. Waltz said he has “never communicated” with the Atlantic editor and that a review is underway to figure out “how the heck he got into this room.”

Despite National Security Council and Defense Department officials confirming the chat’s veracity, the White House, Hegseth and other Republicans have attempted to downplay the report. During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Tuesday, Gabbard refused to confirm her participation in the chat and said its contents were not classified, a sentiment echoed by Ratcliffe moments later.

Trump also denied security protocols were violated, while defending Waltz and slamming Goldberg as a “sleazebag.”

“I think it was very unfair the way they attacked Michael,” he said at the White House. “They’ve made a big deal out of this because we’ve had two perfect months.”

Prior to his confirmation, Hegseth was accused of rape and seriously abusing alcohol. He was confirmed to his current position by the GOP Senate in January.

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