Hegseth Declares Anyone Who Mishandles Government Info Should Be 'Held Accountable' in Resurfaced Clips

As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny over reports that he shared sensitive military details in private Signal group chats, resurfaced comments from his past are drawing fresh attention — and accusations of hypocrisy.

In a 2016 Fox News segment, Hegseth harshly criticized former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her handling of classified emails, declaring that "any security professional military government or otherwise would be fired on the spot for this type of conduct and criminally prosecuted for being so reckless."

"The fact that she wouldn't be held accountable for this blows the mind of anyone who's held our nation's secrets dear, who's had a top secret clearance—like I have," Hegseth continued. "Who know that even one hiccup causes a problem."

Now, Hegseth himself is accused of reckless conduct with the nation's secrets, reportedly sending sensitive information about US airstrikes in Yemen to Signal group chats.

Last month the public learned a journalist was accidentally added to one of these group chats. This week, a New York Times report revealed another group chat where the same information was shared with Hegseth's wife, his brother, and his attorney.

Despite those revelations, the White House continues to stand by him. President Donald Trump has dismissed the criticism as overblown, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the backlash a "resistance" from entrenched Pentagon officials uncomfortable with Hegseth's leadership.

In a resurfaced 2023 Fox News appearance, Hegseth took aim at President Joe Biden over classified documents found in his possession.

"If the top man in the job was handling classified documents this flippantly for that long, why was that the case? Was it really that he didn't know? If you take something out of a skiff...you know exactly what you're doing," Hegseth asserted, going on to emphasize the importance of accountability "at the very top."

Amid accusations of mishandling sensitive national security information, critics note that Hegseth does not seem to hold himself to the same standard.

So far, Hegseth has dismissed the controversy as politically motivated. Despite public support from Trump, NPR reported that a search for a potential replacement is underway.