By Dan Lamothe
In doing so, Hegseth effectively “cloned” the Signal app on his personal cellphone, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an issue that has hounded the Trump administration for weeks. The move followed a discussion among Hegseth and his aides about how they could circumvent the lack of cellphone service in much of the Pentagon and more quickly coordinate with the White House and other top Trump officials using the encrypted app, they added.
Hegseth’s decision earlier this year to install Signal on a desktop computer in the Pentagon was a work-around that enabled him to use Signal in a classified space, where his cellphone and other personal electronics are not permitted, and communicate with ease with anyone — other government officials or his family — who is outside of the imposing military headquarters.
Other aides, including Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s chief of staff at the time, also voiced interest in using Signal on Pentagon computers, but it is unclear how widely the app’s use proliferated, said those familiar with the matter. It’s also unclear whether Hegseth and his team of political advisers has adhered to U.S. law that would require them to preserve such messages.
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