Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., left, said he wouldn't "tolerate" Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, allegedly sending sensitive military information in another Signal group chat. (Getty | AP)
Bacon told Politico he had reservations about Hegseth's experience since his nomination, and while a spokesperson for Bacon's office emphasized to Fox News Digital that he would not tell President Donald Trump to fire Hegseth, Bacon said he "wouldn’t tolerate" the latest Hegseth reporting if he was the commander in chief.
EX-PENTAGON AIDE URGES TRUMP TO FIRE HEGSETH, CITING 'FULL-BLOWN MELTDOWN' AND 'TOTAL CHAOS'
White House officials have joined Hegseth in denying the reporting.
"No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same nonstory, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared. Recently fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the president’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is shown at the White House on April 15, 2025. Leavitt defended Hegseth on Monday. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Hegseth lamented "disgruntled employees" and "anonymous smears" when pressed by reporters during the White House Easter Egg roll about the latest Signal controversy.
"This is why we’re fighting the fake news media. This group right here is full of hoaxsters," Hegseth said.
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The Trump administration has maintained that no classified material was transmitted in the Signal chat reported by The Atlantic. Signal is an encrypted messaging app with additional security measures that keep messages private to those included in the correspondence.
Fox News Digtal's Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/wouldnt-tolerate-it-house-republican-calls-second-hegseth-signal-report-unacceptable