Combative US defence chief finds himself in the firing line

Pete Hegseth faces deepening scrutiny from Congress over boat strikes. Stephen Groves and Lisa Mascaro report

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US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth laughs during a cabinet meeting hosted by President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images)

ETE Hegseth barely squeaked through a gruelling Senate confirmation process to become Secretary of Defence earlier this year, facing lawmakers wary of the Fox News Channel host and sceptical of his capacity, temperament and fitness for the job.

Just three months later, he quickly became embroiled in Signalgate as he and other top US officials used the popular Signal messaging application to discuss pending military strikes in Yemen. A Pentagon inspector general's report delivered to lawmakers on Wednesday found his actions posed a risk to personnel and mission.

And now, in what may be his most career-defining moment yet, Hegseth is confronting questions about the use of military force and demands he release the videotapes after a special operations team reportedly attacked survivors of a strike on an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela. Some lawmakers and legal experts say the second strike would have violated the laws of armed conflict.

“These are serious charges, and that's the reason we're going to have special oversight,” said Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The scrutiny surrounding Hegseth’s brash leadership style is surfacing what has been long-building discontent in Congress over President Donald Trump's choice to helm the US military. And it's posing a potentially existential moment for Hegseth as the congressional committees overseeing the military launch an investigation amid mounting calls from Democratic senators for his resignation.