Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the Signal messaging app installed on his desktop computer in the Pentagon to circumvent poor cell service in the building, according to a new report in The Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the matter.
The Post report said Hegseth "effectively 'cloned' the Signal app on his personal cellphone" following talks between Hegseth and his advisers on "how they could circumvent the lack of cellphone service in much of the Pentagon and more quickly coordinate with the White House and other top Trump officials using the encrypted app."
By installing Signal onto his desktop, Hegseth created a "workaround" to use the app in a classified area — where his cellphone and other personal devices are banned — to easily communicate with other government officials or his family, according to the report.
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To boot, Hegseth had the app installed on a second computer in his office and expressed interest in installing a program that would allow him to send out text messages from the Pentagon, according to the report.
Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, told the newspaper in a statement that Hegseth “never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer.” The Pentagon chief's use of communications systems and channels is also classified.
Hegseth has been embroiled in scandal since his confirmation, with John Ullyot, a former Pentagon spokesperson, describing the department as being in "full-blown meltdown" and "in disarray under Hegseth's leadership."
Three top Pentagon officials, including two of Hegseth’s closest aides, were fired over alleged leaks.
On Sunday, Hegseth found himself wrapped up in another scandal involving a second Signal chat, in which sensitive attack plans were shared with his wife and his brother.