White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that President Donald Trump continues to “strongly support” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, despite emerging reports indicating he discussed sensitive military matters in a Signal chat with family and friends.
According to Leavitt, Hegseth is “doing a tremendous job, and he is bringing monumental change to the Pentagon.” She also suggested that the criticism directed at Hegseth is part of a larger smear campaign by those resistant to the changes he is implementing.
This endorsement follows a report from NBC News that detailed Hegseth’s sharing of U.S. military plans via Signal, which had initially been relayed to him through secure government channels meant for sensitive information. Within ten minutes of receiving the plans on March 15, Hegseth shared them in a group chat that included his wife and brother.
The White House has asserted that none of the materials Hegseth shared on Signal were classified. In response to the controversy, Hegseth attributed the fallout to “leakers” who no longer serve at the Pentagon.
During an appearance on Finance Newso News, Hegseth remarked, “Once a leaker, always a leaker, often a leaker,” expressing contempt for what he referred to as the “hoax press” that circulates outdated information from disgruntled employees. He went on to clarify that the information discussed in the Signal chats pertained to “informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordination and other things.”
This latest incident comes just a month after revelations about Hegseth discussing details of potential military operations in Yemen on another Signal thread, which unintentionally included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of “The Atlantic.”
Despite these controversies, Trump expressed continued support for Hegseth, stating on Monday that the secretary is “doing a great job.” Additionally, White House officials have dismissed rumors suggesting they are seeking a replacement for Hegseth.
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