Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer.

A Pentagon spokesperson denied that Hegseth used an unsecured connection, and added that the “use of communications systems and channels is classified.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press.

Pete Hegseth hosted Fox News shows for years before becoming Donald Trump’s defence secretary. On Tuesday morning, he took to the conservative US cable network to mount a defence against a torrent of criticism about his actions at the helm of the Pentagon and the turmoil that has embroiled the world’s most powerful military agency.