After two different incidents where he allegedly used the unclassified messaging app Signal to outline secret military plans, one accidental inclusion of a journalist in said plans and after Donald Trump voiced support of him: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is reportedly on his way out.
NPR exclusively reported that the White House is looking for a Hegseth replacement, writing, "In the last few weeks, four senior advisers to Hegseth have left abruptly, some accused of leaking. They have all released public statements suggestion infighting within the Department of Defense."
Publicly, Trump stood by Hegseth on Monday, saying "Pete's doing a great job. Everybody's happy with him." Asked if he remained confident in Hegseth, Trump said: "Oh totally."
"Ask the Houthis how he's doing," Trump added, signaling support of how the U.S. military, under Trump and Hegseth, has ramped up its bombing campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi group.
NPR cited a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly when it reported the White House is quietly looking for a replacement.
This comes after Hegseth was roundly criticized for accidentally including the editor of The Atlantic in a group chat detailing plans to bomb the Houthis in Yemen. Another Signal misstep was reported Monday when numerous outlets reported that Hegseth had included his wife, brother and personal lawyer in a group chat about another upcoming bombing mission.
Hegseth's current wife is a former Fox News producer, and not a Defense Department employee. About that chat, the New York Times reported the White House declined to comment on whether Mr. Hegseth shared detailed targeting information but maintained that there was "no national security breach."
For her part, Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the NPR report 'fake news.' She wrote on X it was "based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about."