Presented by Boeing{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Hegseth goes on attack as Signal scandal raises big questions Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved to the center of the storm over the administration 's Signal group chat scandal.© AP Seeking to combat questions about whether he shared confidential military plans and put service members in potential danger, Hegseth and his team were on the offensive Wednesday.  While the White House and its allies have sought to downplay the sensitivity of the information shared, Hegseth’s deflections and denials are not going over well with current and retired troops and officers, nor Democrats and even some on the right.  National security adviser Mike Waltz apparently invited The Atlantic’s editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, into a chat group with more than a dozen top Trump administration officials. But it was Hegseth who shared specific details of imminent U.S. attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.   Both Waltz and Hegseth have faced growing calls from Democrats for their ouster, as Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the Senate Armed Services chair, pushes for an inspector general to promptly probe what happened.   “The so-called Secretary of Defense recklessly and casually disclosed highly sensitive war plans,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a letter to President Trump on Tuesday, calling for the Pentagon chief to be “fired immediately.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) later Tuesday told reporters, “He should be fired. I agree.”   Hegseth insists that no “war plans” or confidential information was included in the chats, but he has left many questions unanswered, notably, why the plans weren’t confidential and whether he was using Signal to relay other sensitive operations.  Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) did not mince words in her response to Hegseth’s defense, calling him "a f---ing liar."  "This is so clearly classified info he recklessly leaked that could’ve gotten our pilots killed. He needs to resign in disgrace immediately,” said Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot who lost both her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade hit her aircraft during the Iraq War. National security experts say the prior details of such attacks should have been more closely guarded, as officials typically are only meant to provide such information through classified conversations, documents, or over secure email. Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Rubio: ‘Someone made a big mistake’ with Jeffrey Goldberg invite to Signal chatSecretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said “someone made a big mistake” in adding the editor in chief of The Atlantic into a group chat with the Trump administration’s top national security officials discussing an attack plan on the Houthis in Yemen.  The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg reported that national security adviser Mike Waltz added him to the group chat on the commercial messaging app Signal. Waltz has …  Full Story   Duckworth: ‘Pete Hegseth is a ‘f‑‑‑ing liar’Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) called Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth a “f‑‑‑ing liar” and demanded his resignation, after the top military official repeatedly insisted he did not share classified information and war plans in an unsecured group text message.  Duckworth — a combat veteran, former Black Hawk helicopter pilot and member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees — said Hegseth put the …  Full Story   Retired brigadier general: If accountability starts now, Hegseth should be firedRetired Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson on Wednesday said President Trump needs to hold Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accountable for the Signal group chat in which sensitive military information about a strike on the Houthi group in Yemen was discussed. Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic editor in chief, was inadvertently included in the chat, which also included Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump national security adviser …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is traveling to Guam today before further stops in the Philippines and Japan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Jamaica today, with further planned stops in Guyana and Suriname. While in Jamaica, he will hold bilateral engagements with heads of state from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti. Vice President Vance will travel to Greenland alongside his wife, Usha Vance, as well as national security advisor Michael Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Friday.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:White House scrambles to contain Signal chat fallout The White House on Wednesday scrambled to contain the controversy of a Signal chat among national security officials that became public, opting for its signature defiant approach but one that left even some Republicans scratching their heads. After The Atlantic published messages from the chat, which … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  A Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on the “NTSB Preliminary Report: DCA Midair Collision,” with testimony from NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy, at 10 a.m.  The Washington Institute for Near East Policy will have a virtual forum on “Assessing the U.S. Military Campaign Against the Houthis” at 11 a.m.  Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will speak at Defense One virtual forum on the state of the Army at 2 p.m.  The Center for a New American Security will host a virtual book discussion on “The Hand Behind Unmanned: Origins, U.S. Autonomous Military Arsenal” at 3:30 p.m.   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: NATO chief appeals for unity as Europe builds its armies and the US eyes security threats elsewhere (The Associated Press) The leaked Signal chat, annotated (The New York Times) Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Appeals court won’t lift Boasberg’s order blocking Alien Enemies Act A federal appeals court in a 2-1 decision Wednesday refused to lift U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s order blocking the Trump administration from … Read more Democrat raising Hegseth’s drinking sparks fury from Ratcliffe: ‘An offensive line of questioning’ Rep. Jimmy Gomez’s (D-Calif.) questions about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s drinking habits sparked fury from intelligence leaders at a House committee … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Turkey’s readmission to the F-35 program must come with a costPutin is just playing Trump for time Pentagon ‘still mystified’ as drone drama deepens  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe ...read more read less