Pete Hegseth Registered at DFS Site to Detriment of US Security

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver recently described the Trump administration as “deeply unserious people doing deeply stupid things with massively serious consequences,” and while this assessment may feel blown out of proportion on occasion, nothing illustrates it better than Pete Hegseth’s recent debacle.

Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, has been a continuous source of embarrassment for the current administration, and worse – he has arguably leaked state secrets to unwitting American citizens through his voluntary actions.

A Trail of Security Blunders

Involuntarily, however, Pete Hegseth may be in even bigger trouble. He has been accused of using unprotected internet networks, infamously shared war plans with a journalist from The Atlantic, and texted the same information to family members over unencrypted chats, using a messenger program that has been flagged as unreliable by the Pentagon and intelligence experts.

While you may think that it can hardly get more embarrassing for Hegseth, it’s worth taking a look at The New York Times story about the man registering an account with fantasy football site Sleeper.com where he simply went by the nickname “PeteHegseth” – subtle.

In fairness, however, Hegseth registered at the website three months ahead of his official nomination as defense secretary, but the media have lambasted his behavior all the same, citing security concerns.

Online Activity Raises Eyebrows

Sleeper.com is considered to be an imprudent use of Hegseth’s personal information, but it is hardly the only one.

The phone number he uses to discuss military operations is the same number he has used to register for platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Airbnb, and Microsoft Teams – feel bad about linking your accounts on the same phone number? Just think of the US Secretary of Defense, who has had no such qualms whatsoever.

Another part of the report that is interesting is that his wife’s phone number was also tied to the Sleeper.com daily fantasy platform weeks after he registered originally. The implications are huge, as they compromise not only national defense and security, but also undermine the trust of allied nations that may be reluctant to share intelligence, given how high up the potential for leaks goes.

Mike Casey, a former director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said that whether he realizes it or not, Hegseth has been the most targeted person on the internet, with his phone and other devices part of the equation. Casey argued that Hegseth has been targeted by Pegasus installation attempts, whether he is aware of it.

Personal devices can never be used for work-related matters in the Department of Defense – a prohibition that should apply to its current boss. Dissent has been heard in the ranks of the Grand Old Party, with Rep. Don Bacon confirming for CNN that China and Russia are guaranteed to be “all over” his cellphone.

Despite all of this, at least outwardly, Hegseth is still very much likely to retain his job, while squashing opposition and enjoying the favor of President Donald Trump.