FACT CHECK: No, Pete Hegseth Didn’t Message His Signal Group A Picture Of Carrier Locations

A post shared on X claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth messaged his Signal group a picture of carrier locations.

This cannot be real @DODResponse pic.twitter.com/XfePjL61Ab

— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) March 25, 2025

Verdict: False

The image is not from the Signal chat.

Fact Check:

Hegseth and several other executive branch members, such as National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, were in a Signal group about the Houthi conflict, according to The Atlantic.

Social media users are claiming to show an image from the group chat. It claims to show an image of carrier locations with Hegseth quoting Vice President JD Vance asking a question, “Where are the carriers?” (RELATED: Has Trump Ordered The Keystone Pipeline To’ Transport Only American Oil?’)

This claim is false. The Atlantic published the entire text chain, which does not show the image in question. Rather, it shows Hegseth posting a timeline of the first attacks and stating that the U.S. was the only country that could reopen shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

“I have no idea what that is. It’s definitely not in our story,” a spokesperson for The Atlantic told Check Your Fact in an email.