Hegseth's rampant Signal use forced aides to roam Pentagon seeking cell service: report

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal app for sensitive military discussions was far more extensive than previously known, according to a new report Monday afternoon in The Wall Street Journal.

The "Signalgate" controversy, which has seen military attack plans leaked through Signal chats to a journalist and the secretary's family members, is just the tip of the iceberg, as Hegseth has reportedly preferred the private channel for his day-to-day operations over the Pentagon's secure systems.

In fact, per the report, it was so common that it interfered with his aides' ability to work.

"Instead of using the Pentagon’s vast communications network, Hegseth preferred Signal to run the Defense Department’s day-to-day operations, the people said. Among those he added to chats were members of his security detail, staffers in his personal office and that of the deputy secretary, as well as public-affairs aides," said the report. "To read the messages, aides routinely had to step away from their desks to find a location in the Pentagon that received phone service, which is spotty in the building."

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Hegseth also reportedly gave access to his personal phone to Marine Col. Ricky Buria, one of his top aides, to make posts through his Signal account.

"In one case, [Hegseth] told aides on the encrypted app to inform foreign governments about an unfolding military operation," the report continued. "He also used the nongovernmental message service to discuss media appearances, foreign travel, his schedule, and other unclassified but sensitive information, two people said."

In recent weeks, some Trump administration national security officials have used TeleMessage, a modified version of Signal that retains records of conversations and purports to comply with federal sunshine laws. However, TeleMessage is now investigating a reported hack, causing the service to temporarily shut down.