Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), perhaps channeling his inner Democrat, has recently taken to the public stage to call for President Trump to dismiss Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. This demand appears to be fueled by a disproven allegation from the New York Times.
Bacon, who once donned the uniform of an Air Force general and now heads a cybersecurity subcommittee, launched a media offensive on Monday, questioning Hegseth’s credentials while reiterating a debunked NYT claim that he used the private Signal app to discuss sensitive military operations in Yemen with his family.
“I had concerns from the beginning because Pete Hegseth didn’t have much experience,” Bacon stated to Politico, conveniently overlooking Hegseth’s extensive military service, advocacy for veterans’ affairs, and strong backing from the conservative community.
“I appreciate his contributions on Fox. However, if it’s true that he had another Signal conversation with his family about operations against the Houthis, that is completely unacceptable,” Bacon added.
“I’m not in the White House, and I’m not in a position to dictate how they should manage this … but I find it unacceptable, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if I were in charge,” he continued.
“Russia and China have thousands of personnel monitoring communications at the highest levels, and the Secretary of Defense is a primary target. For him to be sharing sensitive information via his phone is inappropriate. He’s acting like he’s above the law — which reflects a lack of professionalism,” Bacon asserted.
Bacon’s core allegation—that Hegseth discussed classified mission details via Signal—has already been thoroughly discredited as unfounded and false news.
In response, Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, issued a scathing rebuttal to the Times article:
“Another day, another resurrected story—this time from the Trump-hating media, which continues its obsession with undermining anyone aligned with President Trump’s agenda.
This time, the New York Times—and the other purveyors of Fake News that echo their narrative—are shamelessly relying on the complaints of disgruntled former employees as the foundation for their claims.
They are quoting individuals who were recently terminated and clearly have an agenda to sabotage both the Secretary and the President’s initiatives.
There has been no classified information exchanged in any Signal conversation, regardless of how they attempt to spin the narrative. What is evident is that the Office of the Secretary of Defense is becoming increasingly robust and effective in implementing President Trump’s agenda.
We have made significant strides for the American military and will not retreat,” Parnell concluded.
Meanwhile, President Trump had a succinct reply when questioned about his confidence in Pete Hegseth following the latest Signal chat revelations. “It’s just fake news,” he remarked to a reporter during the Easter Egg Roll. “He was appointed to eliminate many problematic individuals, and that’s precisely what he’s doing. You don’t always have allies when you tackle that,” he continued. “He is performing excellently … Just ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump quipped, referencing U.S. airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen.
Bacon’s actions reveal an unsettling truth: he may be more of a RINO in disguise than a true patriot, seemingly more invested in pleasing the political establishment than in championing Trump’s America First principles. His hasty judgment regarding a fabricated Signal chat scandal suggests he is either naively gullible or knowingly colluding with leftist efforts to undermine Hegseth.
Representative Don Bacon is gearing up for re-election in 2026. He has announced his candidacy for the U.S. House to represent Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District in the upcoming election set for November 3, 2026.
