1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

Sharing highly sensitive military operational details, such as flight schedules for imminent airstrikes, through insecure private messaging apps with unauthorized individuals lacking proper security clearances is an egregious breach of protocol that jeopardizes national security and the safety of U.S. forces. The revelation that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared this level of classified information not only with members of his personal inner circle, including his own wife who had no place in such discussions, but also previously mistakenly included a journalist, demonstrates a startling lack of judgment and competence unbecoming of his position. This pattern of repeatedly exposing confidential strike plans across multiple inappropriate channels raises serious concerns about Hegseth's ability to safeguard intelligence and make sound decisions befitting the awesome responsibilities entrusted to him. For the integrity of our national defense, a thorough investigation is warranted to determine the full extent of the leaked information across both instances and any potential compromise of operations, with accountability measures taken accordingly.