Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized the media and “disgruntled former employees” on Monday as questions resurfaced about his use of Signal for sensitive communications. Speaking to reporters at the White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth denied recent claims that he disclosed intelligence on Yemen attacks in a second Signal conversation. He stressed that he and President Donald Trump remain in full agreement on defense matters.
“What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax,” Hegseth said, referring to new reporting by The New York Times. He added, “They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees and try to slash and burn people, ruin reputations. Not going to work with me. We’re putting the Pentagon back in the hands of war-fighters. Anonymous smears on old news don’t matter. I’m happy to be here at the Easter Egg Roll with my dad and kids.”
When asked if he had spoken with the president, Hegseth confirmed that he had and said, “We are going to continue fighting. On the same page all the way.”
The White House dismissed reports that Trump is considering replacing Hegseth. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called an NPR story “fake news,” and the administration’s Rapid Response account echoed the criticism, labeling NPR a “Fake News propaganda machine.”
The controversy stems from a series of Signal chats involving key Trump officials discussing a military strike on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. In one incident, Hegseth allegedly shared details of the March operation in a chat that included his wife and brother, and in another, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a planning conversation. Goldberg later published the messages in full.
Amid calls from Democrats for Hegseth’s resignation, Trump defended his secretary of defense, saying he had “nothing to do with this” and emphasizing the success of the military operation. Trump also noted that national security advisor Mike Waltz accepted responsibility for the accidental inclusion of Goldberg in the chat.
“There was no harm done because the attack was unbelievably successful that night,” Trump said, downplaying the potential security risks.
As the administration maintains its support for Hegseth, the Defense Secretary continues to focus on his priorities, framing the attacks from the media as politically motivated and asserting that the Pentagon is returning to a focus on operational effectiveness rather than internal leaks and criticism.
