Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went off on the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff amid a search for a leaker at the Pentagon, according to a report published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal.
The paper said Hegseth was “rattled” after word got out last month that the Pentagon was set to briefElon Musk on China, where the Tesla CEO has three factories. President Donald Trumpdenied the report the next day. However, Axios later reported that Trump had canceled the briefing while asking, “What the fuck is Elon doing here?”
During his search for the leaker, Hegseth erupted at Admiral Christopher Grady, who was then the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
“I’ll hook you up to a f——-g polygraph!” Hegseth shouted at the admiral, the Journal reported, according to two people familiar with the interaction. The secretary demanded proof that Grady was not the source of the Musk leak. Grady was never polygraphed. Hegseth reportedly threatened others with a polygraph test, including Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, the Joint Chiefs director.
The report is just the latest trouble for Hegseth. After a slog of a confirmation fight that ended with the vice president casting the tie-breaking vote, the secretary has only provided his detractors with fodder. Last month, it was revealed that Hegseth shared looming plans for airstrikes in Yemen with more than a dozen administration officials in a Signal group chat. This week, it was reported that he shared the same plans in another chat with his wife, brother, and lawyer. It was also reported that Hegseth set up a makeup studio at the Pentagon to be used ahead of television appearances, which Hegseth denied. Last week, Hegseth lost four staffers amid what one Pentagon official called “chaos” at the department. And on Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Hegseth used “an internet connections that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer,” according to two sources.
For its report, the Journal said the Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press.
The existence of the unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about Hegseth’s use of the unclassified app and raises the possibility that sensitive defense information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.
Known as a “dirty” internet line by the IT industry, it connects directly to the public internet where the user’s information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon’s secured connections maintain.
Other Pentagon offices have used them, particularly if there’s a need to monitor information or websites that would otherwise be blocked.
But the biggest advantage of using such a line is that the user would not show up as one of the many IP addresses assigned to the Defense Department — essentially the user is masked, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with military network security.
But it also can expose users to hacking and surveillance. A “dirty” line — just like any public internet connection — also may lack the recordkeeping compliance required by federal law, the official said.
All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
A ‘dirty’ internet line to use Signal
The two people familiar with the line said Hegseth had it set up in his office to use the Signal app, which has become a flashpoint following revelations that he posted sensitive details about a military airstrike in two chats that each had more than a dozen people. One of the chats included his wife and brother, while the other included President Donald Trump’s top national security officials.
Asked about Hegseth’s use of Signal in his office, which was first reported by The Washington Post, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the defense secretary’s “use of communications systems and channels is classified.”
“However, we can confirm that the Secretary has never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer,” Parnell said in a statement.
Trump and other administration officials have given Hegseth their full support. They have blamed employees they say were disgruntled for leaking information to journalists, with Trump saying this week: “It’s just fake news. They just bring up stories.”
“I have 100% confidence in the secretary,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday about Hegseth. ”I know the president does and, really, the entire team does.”
Secure ways to communicate at the Pentagon
The Pentagon has a variety of secure ways that enable Hegseth and other military leaders to communicate:
— The Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network can handle the lowest levels of sensitive information. It allows some access to the internet but is firewalled and has levels of cybersecurity that a “dirty” line does not. It cannot handle information labeled as secret.
— The Secure Internet Protocol Router Network is used for secret-level classified information.
— The Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System is for top-secret and secret compartmentalized information, which is some of the highest levels of secrecy, also known as TS/SCI.
Hegseth initially was going to the back area of his office where he could access Wi-Fi to use his devices, one of the people familiar said, and then he requested a line at his desk where he could use his own computer.
That meant at times there were three computers around his desk — a personal computer; another for classified information; and a third for sensitive defense information, both people said.
Because electronic devices are vulnerable to spying, no one is supposed to have them inside the defense secretary’s office. Important offices at the Pentagon have a cabinet or drawer where staff or visitors are required to leave devices.
While Signal offers more protections than standard text messaging, it’s no guarantee of security. Officials also must ensure their hardware and connections are secure, said Theresa Payton, White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush and now CEO of Fortalice Solutions, a cybersecurity firm.
The communications of senior government officials are of keen interest to adversaries like Russia or China, Payton said.
The National Security Agency issued a warning earlier this year about concerns that foreign hackers could try to target government officials using Signal. Google also advised caution about Russia-aligned hackers targeting Signal users.
Hegseth’s Signal use is under investigation by the Defense Department’s acting inspector general at the request of the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth pulled the information about the strike on Yemen’s Houthi militants last month from a secure communications channel used by U.S. Central Command. He has vehemently denied he posted “war plans” or classified information.
But the information Hegseth did post in chats — exact launch times and bomb drop times — would have been classified and could have put service members at risk, multiple current and former military and defense officials have said. The airstrike information was sent before the pilots had launched or safely returned from their mission.
___
AP reporter David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report.
Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Trump signs executive actions on education, including efforts to rein in DEI
The directives include new efforts to curtail DEI programs at colleges, and discipline guidance for public schools.
The judge was to be arraigned that day. Under federal procedures, she would likely appear in U.S. District Court on the day of the arrest. Instead she was sent to an ICE detention facility and denied her due process rights. This is not legal nor right. They refused her rights to due process. She is a citizen. Hugs
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested April 25 by federal authorities who are investigating whether she tried to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week, officials confirmed.
Brady McCarron, spokesman for U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., confirmed Dugan was arrested at about 8 a.m. at the Milwaukee County Courthouse and is in federal custody. Under federal procedures, she would likely appear in U.S. District Court on the day of the arrest.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X about the arrest. He later deleted the post.
“Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,” Patel wrote. “We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest.”
Multiple Milwaukee County judges confirmed that the arrest took place at the courthouse. Chief Judge Carl Ashley confirmed the incident in an email to courthouse officials.
Officials have not yet identified the defendant whom she is accused of assisting, but it appears to be Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant facing three misdemeanor battery counts. He was in Dugan’s courtroom on April 18 for a pre-trial conference.
Flores-Ruiz, 30, is listed as being in ICE custody at Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau, according to the federal online detainee locator system.
Sources have told the Journal Sentinel that ICE officials arrived in Dugan’s courtroom on the morning of April 18. When they went to the chief judge’s office, Dugan directed the defendant and his attorney to a side door in the courtroom, directed them down a private hallway and into the public area on the 6th floor.
Last week’s arrest marked at least the third time in recent months that federal immigration agents have come to the courthouse with arrest warrants. In March and early April, two people were arrested by ICE officials in the hallways of the courthouse.
This is a breaking story and was updated with new information. More updates are coming.
and Scottie posts from Meidas Touch. Here’s a snippet, with more on Adam Parkhomenko’s Substack, which can be read for free.
How MeidasTouch is Fixing a 2024 Dem Problem– And Why Legacy Media Isn’t (sic) Cheering by Adam Parkhomenko
A few months ago, Joe Rogan and his podcast audience numbers were thought to be untouchable. Read on Substack
It’s not all bad news.
Media evolution is the story of one industry disruption after another. Printing press. Radio. Network TV. Local TV. Cable TV. The internet. Websites. Blogs. YouTube. Podcasts. Social media. Substack (hey, that’s us!)
The turnover at which today’s shiny media delivery object becomes yesterday’s news is accelerating – a thrilling development for some, but a daunting one for many more and, of course, democracy. Players who think ahead, understand tech, know their audience and potential audience, make bold decisions and keep revenue flowing are best positioned to compete as the media industry continues to adapt.
Nimble media players who blend compelling and breaking content with regular programming, eye-catching graphic design, quick-yet-professional video editing, a mix of humor and real-talk, low overhead, strategic advertising and round-the-clock revenue generation while breaking corporate and editorial bottlenecks will emerge at the forefront of the media race. Call it doing everything, everywhere, all at once. Succeeding in today’s media landscape takes a special touch.
You might even call it a… MeidasTouch.
The Meiselas brothers, co-founders of The MeidasTouch Network. (Photo credit: Variety)
Yes, Rogan’s Big Audience Boosted Trump’s Prospects
There is no question that Joe Rogan dominated the podcast space in the 2024 campaign. And there is no question that Donald Trump’s prospects of returning to the Oval Office while under four indictments and pending sentencing for 34 felony convictions was boosted by Rogan’s support of Trump and well-timed show appearances by Trump campaign principals.
Donald Trump’s two hour, 58 minute and 50-second appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) on October 25, just 11 days before Election Day, has 58 million views on YouTube. Some views were after Election Day, of course, but you get the idea… a lot of people saw it.
JD Vance’s three hour, 17 minute and 21-second interview on JRE on October 31, five days before Election Day, has 20 million views on YouTube. That’s far more people than should ever suffer the misery of watching JD Vance.
Notably, the Trump campaign dispatched Elon Musk for his own two hour, 38 minute and 40-second appearance on JRE the day before the election. Musk’s interview has 20 million views on YouTube.
Trump’s full interview was the second most-watched JRE YouTube video of all time, bested only by a 2019 interview with Bob Lazar and Jeremy Corbell. The UFO confab has nearly 64 million views. (snip-MORE)
I read a theory on Facebook yesterday, which means there was heavy research behind it (sarcasm), that Trump only hired morons because they would provide distractions from all the Trump Fuckery he’s implementing. I think that might be a bonus, but I don’t agree with it.
I think Trump only hires morons, not because they’re morons, but because they’re all sycophants and none will challenge his Trump Fuckery. For the love of God, Kristi Noem even got the Melania hairstyle. I’m kinda shocked JD Vance didn’t get it too.
We’ve gone over the idiot picked from Fox & Friends in the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, inadvertently leaking classified intel, so let’s discuss the puppy-murdering idiot at Homeland Security.
Kristi Noem had her purse snatched while at Capital Burger in Washington, DC. Surveillance footage showed the suspect purposefully moving close to Noem as he zeroed in on her Gucci bag near her feet.
A source said the thief, dressed in dark clothing, sat down at an empty table next to Noem with his back facing her and used his left foot to slide the bag away. He surveyed the restaurant before eventually picking up the bag, covering it with his jacket, and leaving.
He was a smooth criminal, but ya ain’t gotta be that smooth to steal from a Trump dummy.
Country mouse still has a lot to learn about living in the big city (knock on wood since I’m still in Chicago), and one of the things you should know is to keep your bag in your vision. For example: My backpack, which my iPad, passport, keys, and other items is in right now, is sitting on the chair right across from me in this Starbucks while I write this.
See? No one’s gonna steal my Mocha Frappe either.
So Kristi doesn’t know how to traverse the big city, but what’s her detail’s excuse? While Noem was dining with her family, who still hasn’t alienated her despite the puppy killing, the Secret Service inside the restaurant keeping an eye on things. Well, most things.
The thief managed to swipe Noem’s purse right in from of her, the Secret Service, and every member of those yee-haw fuckers she calls her family. This must be a criminal mastermind. If the government catches him, I suggest they hire him. He can teach the Secret Service how thieves steal from MAGA morons.
But what’s interesting is what was inside Noem’s Gucci bag, as it included a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, her driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash.
Ya know, if a Russian, North Korean, or Chinese spy wanted to access our government, they don’t have to do none of that Tom Cruise Mission Impossible crap. They would just need to snatch Kristi Noem’s purse…or just wait for Pete Hegseth to share classified intel on a chat app, or for Trump to Tweet it or hand it to Russians in the Oval Office.
But what was Kristi doing with $3,000 in cash? Did the thief also steal her pager? Paging Director Dumbass! A DHS spokesgoon said, “Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”
Hey, country mouse. Have you ever heard of a bank card? Even the food trucks in DC take them. Try the Venezuelan food truck by the L’Enfant Metro station. It’s amazeballs.
Sure, we should all keep some cash on us, because you never know, but $3,000 is a bit much. And why is she carrying blank checks? Hardly anyone takes checks anymore, and everyone should be advised not to take checks from Trumpers. Elon’s probably still waiting for Trump’s check to clear for the Tesla he purchased on the White House lawn.
Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN law enforcement analyst and former Secret Service agent, said, “If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward.” If anything, it’ll be necessary for the Secret Service to adjust and realize they’re guarding very stupid people now, people who aren’t smart enough to keep their stuff in their sight.
Wackrow also said Noem remains “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target.”
Well, she’s a higher target now that everyone knows how stupid she is.
Chicago note: After my deadlines were met yesterday, I was free to go exploring. I got a meatloaf sandwich at a place where the waiters insult you.
April 25, 1945 Delegates from some 50 countries met in San Francisco for the United Nations Conference on International Organization. Over the next two months they would negotiate the principles and structure of the United Nations. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt had just died and had been working on his speech to the conference: “The work, my friends, is peace; more than an end of this war—an end to the beginning of all wars . . . As we go forward toward the greatest contribution that any generation of human beings can make in this world—the contribution of lasting peace—I ask you to keep up your faith . . . .”
April 25, 1969 The Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and 100 others were arrested while picketing a Charleston, South Carolina, hospital to support unionization by its workers. Read more about Reverend Ralph David Abernathy
April 25, 1974 A peaceful uprising by both the army and civilians, known as the Carnation Revolution (Revolução dos Cravos), ended 48 years of fascism in Portugal. People holding red carnations urged soldiers not to resist the overthrow and many placed the flowers in the muzzles of their rifles. The regime killed four before giving in to the popular resistance. Lisbon demonstration ’74 Read more about the Carnation Revolution
April 25, 1983 Women in Canberra, Australia, laid a wreath to remember women of all countries raped during wartime.
April 25, 1987 Tens of thousands marched on Washington, D.C. to demand an end to U.S.-sponsored and -supported wars in Central America.
April 25, 1993 Nearly one million marched for homosexual rights and liberation in Washington, D.C. Health Care Rally at April 25, 1993 The AIDS quilt on display as part of the event.
April 25, 2004 The March for Women’s Lives drew a record 1.15 million people to Washington, D.C. The marchers wanted to protect legal and safe access to reproductive services including abortion, birth control and emergency contraception. Organized by a coalition that included the National Organization for Women (NOW), Black Women’s Health Imperative, Feminist Majority, National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and Planned Parenthood, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The March for Women’s Lives was the largest protest in U.S. history. Read more
The federal government plans to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth who call 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, according to a Health and Human Services budget draft leaked last week.
The executive director of the Texas State Lottery resigned abruptly on Monday in the latest fallout from the agency’s decision in 2023 to help professional bettors in Europe purchase and print millions of its tickets and guarantee themselves a $95 million jackpot win.
Apparently RFK is trying to walk back his bullshit comments by saying he doesn't mean autistics like *me* are bad and awful and need to be irradicated; no, he just wants to get rid of the "low functioning" autistics and let me just say FUCK THATI'm not more worthy of existing than autistics who 1/
Breaking news: The United States faces millions of measles cases over the next 25 years if vaccination rates for the disease drop 10 percent, according to new research published Thursday.
They're going after the accreditation of universities and threatening to revoke the ability of accreditors if they don't crack down on DEI and LGBTQ people in academia. http://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential…
The Florida State University Faculty Senate approved a resolution asking that the administration to withdraw from the 287g agreement deputizing campus police to conduct immigration enforcement. The Florida International University Faculty Senate did the same.
Having a baby and raising a baby are very different. $300K is more realistic.
Will they be handing out $5K checks at conception?
And you know this has some MAGA fine print excluding everyone but white conservative Christians.
Why not just provide pre-natal healthcare, paid family leave, paid medical leave, universal childcare, universal pre-K, universal child health care until 17, child tax credit, and protect the rights of women/mothers?
[Not to mention a rapist abuser handing out $5K check is creepy]
Daniel Bice
Scottie's Playtime 