In a recent development, President Donald Trump expressed unwavering support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following revelations regarding the sharing of sensitive information. This incident involved Hegseth disclosing details about U.S. military strikes in Yemen during a Signal group chat. This chat, which took place last month, included Hegseth’s family members, personal lawyer, and several Pentagon aides.
During the White House Easter egg roll event, Trump praised Hegseth’s performance, emphasizing the effectiveness of the strikes against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments were made in response to reports that Hegseth had shared operational plans prior to the 15 March strikes in a Signal group chat with his wife, brother, and key military aides.
The controversy surrounding Hegseth’s actions intensified when it was discovered that similar information had been shared in an earlier Signal group chat. This previous chat mistakenly included the editor of the Atlantic magazine, along with JD Vance and other senior Trump officials, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Despite the growing scrutiny, pressure on Hegseth has predominantly originated from outside the White House. Following the media coverage, which first appeared in the New York Times, Donald Trump engaged in a conversation with Hegseth, expressing support and attributing the leak to disgruntled former employees. The story was reportedly leaked by a former aide who had been abruptly dismissed.
President Trump has shown reluctance to terminate top officials during his second term, aiming to avoid succumbing to media pressure despite negative coverage. He has previously stood by his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who had added the Atlantic editor to the initial chat.
In a clear display of solidarity, Trump instructed his team to publicly back Hegseth. Senior aides reiterated that none of the information shared in either group chat was classified, although questions were raised about the inclusion of Hegseth’s wife, who is not a Pentagon official.
Hegseth, visibly frustrated, addressed the issue during the Easter event, dismissing the media coverage as a “hit piece” propagated by former employees with grievances. Nonetheless, calls for his resignation have been mounting, especially after a critical opinion essay from his former spokesperson, John Ullyot, appeared in Politico, criticizing the Pentagon’s current state under Hegseth’s leadership.
Republican Congressman Don Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former Air Force general, did not explicitly call for Hegseth’s resignation. However, he expressed reservations about Hegseth’s experience and implied that he would not retain him in his position if he were in charge, highlighting the situation as unacceptable under his potential leadership.