Despite reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared classified military details with unauthorized individuals on the private messaging app Signal, the White House says President Trump is standing behind him.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday that the president absolutely has confidence in secretary Hegseth, saying he is doing a “phenomenal job” at the Pentagon.
“The president stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon,” Leavitt said.
Hegseth is under fire after reportedly using Signal — an unclassified, encrypted messaging app — to send information about a U.S. strike on Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The messages were shared in a private group that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
This is the second time Hegseth is accused of leaking sensitive details using Signal. The latest revelation comes just days after several senior officials were pushed out of the Pentagon as part of an internal leak investigation.
Still, Leavitt says the criticism is political. “This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement,” she said on Fox News.
Watch the clip from Fox News below.
. @PressSec "The President stands strongly behind @SecDef, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon.
This is what happens when the ENTIRE Pentagon is working against you and against the MONUMENTAL change that you are trying to implement.” pic.twitter.com/0N45bQc1h5
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) April 21, 2025
