The White House has firmly denied reports that it is seeking a replacement for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, following growing controversy over his alleged mishandling of sensitive military information.
According to National Public Radio (NPR), the Trump administration had begun a search for a new defence secretary after revelations that Hegseth shared critical details about US military plans in a private Signal group chat. The chat reportedly included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer, and involved information about planned strikes on Yemen before the 15 March offensive.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt dismissed NPR’s reporting outright. “This @NPR story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind @SecDef,” she posted on X.
While the White House has not denied Hegseth’s involvement in the Signal group, it has downplayed the significance, focusing instead on the motivations of those leaking information. Neither Hegseth nor the White House has disputed that the messages were sent, but they insist that no classified material was involved.
The story gained traction after The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg revealed that he had been accidentally added to a separate Signal group where Hegseth had shared operational details with senior Trump officials. The White House has characterised the leak as the result of internal opposition, suggesting that career staff and even some of Hegseth’s own early allies were resisting reforms.
Hegseth has pushed back against the accusations, saying the claims are an attempt to tarnish his image. “It’s just fake news. They just bring up stories,” President Trump said. “I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees... he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people.”
The latest news added to questions about the judgment of the embattled Pentagon chief, coming on top of last month's disclosure of his participation in a Signal chat with top Trump administration leaders in which details about the military airstrike against Yemen's Houthi militants were shared.
“Pete Hegseth must be fired,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that the details shared by Hegseth in a Signal chat with his wife, brother, and others closely resembled those previously disclosed in messages to Trump administration officials.
Leavitt added: “This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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