Hegseth’s Signal comment is contextual, not an impeachment position
Secretary of Defense
“Nobody’s texting war plans.”
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Official Department transcript. In response to questions about sensitive target and timing information in a Signal chat, Hegseth rejected the characterization that anyone was texting war plans and said he knew what he was doing. This predates the impeachment proposals.
Before the quotation
A reporter asked whether sensitive target and timing details had been declassified before being placed in a Signal chat and whether Signal was being used for similarly sensitive operations.
After the quotation
When pressed about whether such information could endanger service members, Hegseth repeated the statement and said he knew exactly what he was doing.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The statement predates the congressional impeachment proposals and responds only to a reporter’s wording about Signal messages. It does not state an attributable position on whether the House should impeach Hegseth, so it cannot support a public case position.
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Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“Massie deserves credit for forcing Congress to confront a question too many lawmakers would rather leave blurry. America shouldn't drift into permanent war simply because presidents of either party find congressional approval inconvenient. But a serious constitutional dispute deserves the correct opponent. Massie found the fight. But like an idiot, he aimed at the wrong man.”Read statement
Free Speech For People
“In supporting Trump’s constitutional violations and actively participating in, or even initiating, the actions noted above, Hegseth has failed to faithfully discharge the duties of his office. Further, Hegseth participated in multiple unauthorized, unsecured communications on Signal with individuals who are not government employees, jeopardizing national security and demonstrating a dangerous lack of judgment. He must be held accountable for his actions.”Read statement
MoveOn
“Hegseth has shown he cannot be trusted with the power of this office and this position. Impeachment and aggressive oversight are necessary steps to stop further abuses.”Read statement