The first Republican in the US Congress that publicly declares that Pete Hegseth should be dismissed from the Pentagon's leadership: “I had concerns from the beginning.”
US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, in the White House Oval Office in Washington, DC, March 21, 2025. Photo: Annabelle Gordon / AFP / Profimedia
Don Bacon, a Nebraska Congress, who is part of the Parliamentary Commission for Armed Services, has become the first republican legislator that suggests that President Donald Trump should dismiss Pete Hegseth, according to The Guardian.
Pete Hegseth is accused for the second time of sharing sensitive military information with unauthorized people on Signal, a commercial messaging application. This time, The New York Times claims that the head of the Pentagon spoke about the plans of the American army in Yemen in a group of his wife, and his personal lawyer, both holding functions in the defense department.
“I had concerns from the beginning, because Pete Hegseth had no experience. I like him at Fox. But he has the experience to lead one of the world's largest organizations? This is a concern,” said Don Bacon, former general of the US Army, for Politico.
The Republican Congress, a member of the Chamber of Representatives, believes that it is “totally unacceptable” that Pete Hegseth spoke about military operations in Yemen in a Signal group in which they were members of his family and his personal lawyer.
“I am not in the White House and I will not tell the White House how to manage this (…), but it seems unacceptable and I would not have tolerated it,” Don Bacon continued.
In March, The Atlantic revealed that the editor-in-chief of the publication was mistakenly included in a Signal group in which Pete Hegseth and other top American officials were discussing military plans in Yemen.
On Sunday, New York Times reported that Hegseth has shared information about the US Army attack on March 15 and in another discussion group on Signal. From this conversation his wife, Jennifer, journalist and former producer Fox News, as well as his brother, Phil, and Lawyer Tim, both of the Pentagon, say the publication sources.
The Petangon chief denies the charges
Hegseth rejected the accusations, according to AFP.
“This is the press. They take anonymous sources from the former dissatisfied employees and then try to destroy people and ruin their reputation,” said the head of the Pentagon on Monday at the White House.
“It will not work with me,” said the official, adding: “Anonymous slander from former unhappy employees based on old news does not matter.”
Also on Monday, the white house spokeswoman said that President Donald Trump continues to support the current secretary of defense.
“I talked to him about this this morning and supports him firmly,” said Karoline Leavitt.
