Pete Hegseth cannot get enough of Signal. The Defense Secretary used the encrypted messaging app at least a dozen times for official Pentagon business, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Hegseth and other members of the national security team have drawn scrutiny over their use of Signal to hold sensitive talks.

In one case, he told aides on the encrypted app to inform foreign governments about an unfolding military operation, people familiar with his management practices said.

Hegseth’s directive, characterized as an effort to rein in a bloated bureaucracy, follows a purge of top military leaders soon after Trump returned to office.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon leadership to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20% across the military, according to a memo signed by Hegseth dated May 5 and obtained by CNN.