NPR has reported that the White House is considering replacing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in response to recent controversies. However, the White House has dismissed these claims as “fake news.” The controversy stems from an incident where Hegseth shared detailed operational plans for a U.S. military airstrike against the Houthi rebels on an unsecured chat app, Signal, before it took place on April 15. This app had been set up by White House National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, and included unintentional invites such as the editor of The Atlantic.
Furthermore, Hegseth also reportedly shared the same confidential information with his wife Jennifer, a former Fox News producer who is not a Department of Defense employee, and his brother and personal lawyer who both work at the Department of Defense but had no clear need to know about the military operation, according to a New York Times report. This raised concerns since leaking such information shortly before the airstrike could have endangered U.S. pilots if adversaries intercepted the details.
Despite these concerns, White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt denied that there were plans to replace Hegseth. President Donald Trump expressed strong support for Hegseth, calling concerns about the Signal chat a “waste of time” and praising Hegseth’s performance. Following the Easter Egg Roll event, Trump sarcastically suggested asking the Houthis about Hegseth’s competence.
Hegseth himself expressed frustration over media reports, accusing the press of attempting to discredit and defame him based on information from disgruntled former employees, referring to recent resignations and charges filed against other Defense Department advisors for allegedly leaking information.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen emphasized Hegseth’s accountability, pointing out Trump’s responsibility for appointing an inexperienced former television host to a critical national security position. She criticized the decision to let such an individual make life-and-death decisions within the government.