Days after the attempt to force Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth from office over the "Signal-gate" affair, new attacks have been launched to question his judgment and abilities.

As I reported yesterday, one of the most unusual features of last week's excitement over several members of the Trump administration discussing an impending air attack against the Houthis using the Signal encrypted communications app was that the left's target was not National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who organized the group chat, but Pete Hegseth; see Why Has the Left Targeted Pete Hegseth for Destruction Over the 'Signal' Kerfuffle?

Today, two new stories are in circulation. Both are stupid, but both are calculated to make Hegseth look sloppy about security and generally inept.

From the Wall Street Journal: Exclusive | Hegseth Brought His Wife to Sensitive Meetings With Foreign Military Officials.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing scrutiny over his handling of details of a military strike, brought his wife, a former Fox News producer, to two meetings with foreign military counterparts where sensitive information was discussed, according to multiple people who were present or had knowledge of the discussions.

But if we read further to paragraph three, we find:

A secretary can invite anyone to meetings with visiting counterparts, but attendee lists are usually carefully limited to those who need to be there and attendees are typically expected to possess security clearances given the delicate nature of the discussions, according to defense officials and people familiar with the meeting. There is often security near the meeting space to keep away uninvited attendees.

At no point is it ever stated or implied that Mrs. Hegseth participated in discussions or did anything untoward, like conducting a cabinet meeting; see Questions Abound After Jill Biden Takes Over Cabinet Meeting for a Visibly Tired Joe Biden – RedState and Jill Biden's Cosplaying As President Just Got Much Weirder – RedState. 

This is a nothingburger, but it is designed to fit with a narrative that says Pete Hegseth is sloppy and unprofessional when dealing with classified information. The other parts of this attempt to diminish and discredit Hegseth are the fraudulent claim that he briefed Elon Musk on war plans ('Journalists' Run With a Ridiculous New Pete Hegseth Hoax, Get Immediately Dunked On – RedState) and "Signal-gate."

A second story came from the nutty left The Daily Beast: Hegseth Brings in Emotional Support Brother as Pentagon Aide.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s younger brother is serving as a Pentagon aide, according to the Associated Press.

So far, Phil Hegseth’s role has included meeting with UFC legend Conor McGregor and joining his brother for an ongoing trip in the Pentagon’s Boeing 747—with stops in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and Japan.

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told the AP that the younger Hegseth’s official title is “senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Defense Department.”

...

Federal law prevents government officials from hiring their relatives. However, if Hegseth is solely employed by the DHS and his brother wasn’t involved in his hiring, then it may not be illegal.

Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell had an answer for that:

This is Fake News & garbage clickbait.

Phil Hegseth is a Senior Advisor to Secretary Noem at DHS & liaises with us at DOD from time to time.

And our government is lucky to have him on board. He’s smart as hell. pic.twitter.com/Hmj4mDSSFz

— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) March 29, 2025

There is nothing illegal about the SecDef's brother serving as a political appointee in the Department of Homeland Security; see 5 U.S. Code § 3110 - Employment of relatives; restrictions.

If the brother's duties are "liaison to the Department of Defense," there is nothing wrong with him traveling with the SecDef. Not liking something doesn't mean it is bad or improper; it just means you don't like it.

This clown show is going to continue as long as Pete Hegseth is SecDef because he is focused on gutting all the social science nonsense that has infected the Department of Defense since the Obama administration. He is a threat to the "long march through the institutions" that had nearly captured our military, and he must be destroyed.

Few things are harder than turning around a failing but complacent and self-satisfied organization. That is the challenge facing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The military services have been hollowed out through DEI and dysfunctional leadership. The industrial base is dead in the water. Follow RedState for some of the most informed coverage on his efforts to recreate a force in crisis. Join RedState VIP and help continue that coverage. Use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.