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Hegseth under fire again, but Trump holds the line
Reuters
Reuters
President Donald Trump is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new revelations that he shared sensitive military information via a private messaging app — not once, but twice.
The latest leak involves a group chat on Signal, an encrypted platform, where Hegseth reportedly disclosed details of the March 15 U.S. strike on Yemen’s Houthis. According to reports, recipients included his wife, brother, and personal attorney.
Asked directly at the White House on Monday, Trump dismissed the concerns. “Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him,” the president said. “Ask the Houthis how he’s doing.”
The use of Signal for classified communications had already triggered an internal Pentagon investigation. This second instance, first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by Reuters, intensified pressure on Hegseth as critics pointed to growing lapses under his leadership.
The Pentagon’s inspector general is probing whether Hegseth broke security protocols by coordinating military actions over unclassified systems. A prior leak — where a journalist was accidentally added to a similar Signal chat — had already raised eyebrows in Washington.
The fallout has spread beyond Hegseth himself. Dan Caldwell, a key adviser, was escorted from the Pentagon last week. Two other aides, Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, were placed on leave shortly after.
Still, the White House is not flinching. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied reports of a replacement search and said Hegseth retains Trump’s full confidence.
In a defiant statement, Hegseth told reporters, “I have spoken to the president, and we are going to continue fighting on the same page all the way.”
Democrats have called for Hegseth’s resignation, while most Republicans have kept quiet. Congressman Don Bacon broke ranks to question the judgment behind using Signal for national security discussions.
Hegseth’s alignment with Trump’s agenda — from deploying troops at the southern border to slashing diversity initiatives in the military — has made him a reliable figure in the current administration. That loyalty is now being tested by a growing scandal.
Even as pressure mounts, Trump’s support appears unshaken. But with multiple aides sidelined and Pentagon scrutiny intensifying, the question is no longer whether Hegseth made mistakes — but how many more Washington will tolerate.
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