Fox’s Jen Griffin Reveals the Details In ‘Explosive’ Pentagon IG Report On Pete Hegseth

Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported on the Pentagon Inspector General’s report on Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal to discuss sensitive military information, a report she called “explosive.” Hegseth is a former Fox News weekend morning show host.

Griffin was introduced by anchor John Roberts on Wednesday as the news broke, and she reported, “Well, that IG report has been delivered to Capitol Hill. According to well-placed sources familiar with the Inspector General report on ‘SignalGate,’ the Pentagon Acting Inspector General, after a month-long investigation, concluded Secretary Pete Hegseth, quote, ‘created risk to operational security.’” Griffin added:

“And his actions sharing operational details before the strike was complete on the commercially available app Signal,” quote, “could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots.”

We’ve reached out to the Pentagon for comment. We expect an unclassified version of the report to be released on Thursday. The incident in question occurred back in March. Secretary Hegseth shared details, including highly sensitive attack plans, air platforms to be used, and flight times for the strikes and when they would occur.

The Signal chain included then-National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, members of the Hegseth family, including his wife, and Atlantic reporter Jeffrey Goldberg. Back in March, Hegseth was asked why he had shared plans about a forthcoming attack on Yemen on the Signal messaging app.

“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that. What was shared over Signal then and now, however you characterize it, was informal, unclassified coordinations for media coordination and other things. That’s what I’ve said from the beginning,” Hegseth said in the clip, appearing to contradict the IG’s findings.

Griffin went on to highlight the contradiction, reporting, “Here are some of the screenshots that the Atlantic received from the Signal chat because Jeffrey Goldberg was on that chat.” She added:

And it said, “Team update, time now, 11:44 Eastern. Weather is favorable. Just confirmed with CENTCOM. We are a go for mission launch. 12:15 Eastern Standard. F-18s launch first strike package, 1:45. Trigger-based F-18 first strike window starts. Target terrorist is at his known location, should also be on time. Also, strike drones launch.”

It goes on with dates, with times of the strikes, as well as other platforms that were used. At the end, Hegseth writes on the Signal chat, “We are currently clean on OPSEC.”

Now, what is significant about this is, again, Congress is going to be hearing from Admiral Mitch Bradley, who is involved in the strike on the drug boats in the Caribbean, that it now is raising questions about the legality of those strikes because there were two survivors clinging to wreckage. Those hearings on the Hill—they will be closed hearings, classified hearings—tomorrow, begin tomorrow on the same day that this explosive IG report is being presented to Congress. Back to you.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.