Pete Hegseth Slams Atlantic Writer Over False Claims of Leaked War Plans

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is firing back hard at the latest smear campaign from the liberal media this time from The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who accused Trump officials of sharing sensitive U.S. military attack plans over an encrypted Signal chat.

Hegseth, speaking from Hawaii where he’s meeting with military leadership about Indo-Pacific readiness, didn’t hold back in dismantling the story. And frankly, it’s exactly the kind of leadership we need from the Pentagon in an era where left-wing media continues to push baseless narratives meant to undermine American strength.

“You’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited, so-called ‘journalist’ who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes,” Hegseth said. “Russia collusion, ‘Fine People’ hoax, the ‘Suckers and Losers’ lie this is what he does.”

Let’s be clear: this latest accusation from Goldberg isn't just unsubstantiated it’s typical of the media playbook we’ve seen since 2016. When real leadership begins reasserting American power especially under Trump they dig up phony scandals to try and smear anyone associated with it.

Here’s what Hegseth actually said:

• “Nobody was texting war plans.”

• The Houthis have been emboldened for years because of Obama-Biden era weakness. Under Trump, Hegseth said, that changed: “We will re-establish deterrence. We will open freedom of navigation. We will ultimately decimate the Houthis which is exactly what we’re doing.”

• He pointed out that U.S. forces were being treated like sitting ducks until President Trump authorized real action. “Our sailors were getting shot at as targets,” he said. “And when they did shoot back, it was purely defensively, or at shacks in Yemen.”

The truth here is simple: the media can’t stand the fact that Trump and the men and women he appoints are serious about defending America. So they manufacture narratives, quote anonymous sources, and twist facts. The goal? Discredit bold leadership and keep America weak and passive on the global stage.

Meanwhile, under Hegseth and Trump’s direction, we’re seeing the U.S. reclaim its posture in key regions like the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East. We’re rebuilding deterrence, projecting strength, and letting our enemies know we’re no longer playing defense.

The American people are waking up to the media’s tactics and they’re not buying it anymore.

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