In a striking display of confidence, President Trump responded to a reporter’s inquiry regarding his trust in Pete Hegseth, following a recent scandal involving leaked Signal chat messages.
In a classic maneuver of deflection, NPR released a scathing report suggesting that the White House is contemplating Hegseth’s replacement as Defense Secretary. Trump, however, dismissed the allegations as “fake news”, asserting, “He was put there to eliminate a lot of bad people, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. You don’t always make friends in that process.”
“He is doing a great job … Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump quipped, referring to the U.S. military’s actions against Houthi militants in Yemen, suggesting his administration’s effectiveness in foreign affairs.
WATCH:
.@POTUS on @SecDef: “He is doing a great job … Ask the Houthis how he’s doing.” pic.twitter.com/O0vp2sX69x
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 21, 2025
In a dramatic turn of events, three aides to Hegseth have been placed on leave amid an investigation into leaks associated with the Defense Secretary. Reports surfaced that Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s Chief of Staff, is exiting his position, reflecting the ongoing turbulence at the Pentagon.
Last week, one of Hegseth’s advisors was put on leave for leaking sensitive information. Dan Caldwell, also implicated in the leak scandal, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday for what Reuters described as “an unauthorized disclosure.”
Additionally, Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, who serves as chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, were also placed on leave and subsequently escorted out of the Pentagon last week. According to Politico, all three aides were officially terminated on Friday, with Carroll and Selnick reportedly planning to sue for wrongful termination.
In the aftermath of these firings, yet another round of leaked Signal chat messages featuring Hegseth made their way to The Wall Street Journal. The report revealed that Hegseth had initiated a Signal group chat with his wife and personal lawyer, where sensitive military information was allegedly shared. This incident has only intensified scrutiny on Hegseth’s capabilities as a relatively inexperienced leader.
“Hegseth was already under fire for sharing flight plans and other operational details regarding military actions against Houthi rebels in Yemen through a Signal chat with senior Trump administration officials, and had subsequently posted similar information in another chat that included his wife and aides who lacked a need-to-know basis,” the Journal elaborated.
In a fiery response to the media’s narrative surrounding the leaks, Hegseth condemned what he termed a “fake news” onslaught. “What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax,” Hegseth declared from the White House podium. “They won’t return their Pulitzers for a litany of lies.” He accused the media of leveraging anonymous sources from disgruntled former staff to tarnish the reputations of those involved, asserting that he and Trump were “on the same page all the way.”
WATCH:
.@SecDef Hegseth on “Signal chat controversy”: “What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax, won’t give back their Pulitzers, they got Pulitzers for a bunch of lies … This is what… pic.twitter.com/qYH8O98EtX
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 21, 2025
