White House Denies Replacement Search for Embattled Defense Secretary Hegseth Amidst Controversy

The White House is strongly refuting a report suggesting a search is underway for a replacement for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. This follows revelations of his involvement in another group chat where sensitive defense information was shared with individuals lacking proper clearance.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to social media to condemn the report, which originated from NPR and cited a single U.S. official. The report claimed the White House was beginning the process of finding a successor for Hegseth, who was appointed to lead the Defense Department by Trump after the 2024 presidential election. Leavitt labeled the report as "total FAKE NEWS," attributing it to an anonymous source. She also referenced Trump's earlier statements, where he expressed confidence in Hegseth despite the recent Signal chat scandal reported by The New York Times.

Hegseth's time at the Defense Department has been marked by controversy. The Pentagon faced further scrutiny over the weekend due to a New York Times report detailing how Hegseth shared details of an upcoming airstrike with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. Additionally, a former top spokesperson penned an op-ed describing "chaos" within the department.

John Ullyot, who worked in the Pentagon's public affairs office during the early months of the new administration, wrote in Politico Magazine that the department was "in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership." He described "dysfunction" as a significant distraction for President Trump. Ullyot's op-ed followed Hegseth's dismissal of three top staffers, allegedly for leaking information to the press. The former officials expressed disappointment in their departure and accused "unnamed Pentagon officials" of making baseless attacks. Ullyot denied that the fired officials had leaked anything and accused Hegseth's team of spreading falsehoods about their colleagues.

For now, Trump appears to fully support Hegseth, stating that he is "doing a great job." He dismissed the reports as "fake news" and suggested they originated from disgruntled employees.

However, not all Republicans share the president's view. Don Bacon, a key GOP member of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern, stating that Hegseth's actions would be unacceptable if he were in charge. He described a "meltdown" at the Defense Department and suggested that there was "some fire there somewhere.