The White House dismissed "fake news" about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after left-wing NPR claimed the administration is looking to replace him.
"This @NPR story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. “As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind @SecDef.”
Trump has stood by Hegseth since his contentious Senate confirmation battle, which saw Hegseth overcome a flood of anonymous attacks on his character as Democrats and a handful of Republicans questioned his qualifications.
President Trump and his allies are rallying behind Hegseth once again as Democrats make fresh demands for his resignation, citing what they say is his careless handling of sensitive information.
The New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources, that Hegseth included his wife and brother in a Signal chat that included details about an attack on Houthi rebels. The chat reportedly happened around the same time as the previously reported Signal conversation that included a left-wing journalist, leading to criticism of the Trump administration in March.
"Here we go again. Just a waste of time. He is doing a great job," Trump said of Hegseth on Monday. "Ask the Houthis how he's doing."
In addition to the Signal controversies, Hegseth has faced turmoil on his staff as he cracks down on leaks. The Pentagon fired three top Hegseth staffers last week for allegedly sharing information with the press, although the fired staffers deny the claims.
The latest anonymous report concerning Hegseth - from NPR - claims that the White House has lost confidence in him and is looking for a new Defense Secretary.
But Trump and Hegseth have put on a united front, dismissing the latest anonymous reports as a coordinated smear campaign.
The White House says Hegseth, who came to his role as a disruptor to the status quo, is facing backlash from D.C. insiders resistant to change.
“This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change you are trying to implement," Leavitt told Fox and Friends.
Meanwhile, Hegseth upped the ante on Tuesday as he warned that "leakers" could be prosecuted.
"If we think you are leaking to the press, that's a very real problem. We take that very seriously at the Pentagon," Hegseth told Fox and Friends. "Disgruntled former employees are peddling things to try to save their a--, and ultimately, that's not going to work."
