President Donald Trump has privately told Pete Hegseth that he’s sticking by him, reinforcing his public support for the embattled Defense secretary who has faced calls for his ouster amid growing turmoil at the Pentagon.
The two spoke privately after a former Pentagon spokesperson criticized his leadership in a POLITICO op-ed on Sunday, stating that “the building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership.”
The message to Hegseth behind closed doors was consistent with the public one, according to a person familiar with the conversation granted anonymity to discuss the private discussion. Trump, at least for now, is voicing his support for Hegseth, according to the person and two others with knowledge of Trump’s stance.
Trump, who pushed hard to get the former Fox News Channel host confirmed as Defense secretary, stood firmly behind Hegseth after a journalist mistakenly added to a private group chat revealed that he’d shared classified details about an attack on Houthi militants in the unsecured channel earlier this year.
Trump and a number of influential figures in his movement have been inclined to remain supportive amid a second wave of controversy that includes the POLITICO op-ed, last week’s firings and a New York Times report that Hegseth sent sensitive details about an attack on Yemen in another Signal group that included his family members.
Trump, taking questions from reporters as he roved the South Lawn during Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll, criticized the “fake news” media, dismissing the hubbub over Hegseth as “a waste of time” and blaming the criticism on “disgruntled employees.”
“Pete is doing a great job. Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump quipped, referring to the U.S. attacks that have pounded Houthi targets in Yemen. Hegseth, he continued, “was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people, and that’s what he’s doing. So you don’t always have friends when that happens.”
The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., blasted John Ullyot, the author of the POLITICO op-ed, in a post on X, sending a strong signal of support for Hegseth to the MAGA base.
“This guy is not America First,” Trump Jr. wrote of Ullyot. “I’ve been hearing for years that he works his ass off to subvert my father’s agenda. That ends today. He’s officially exiled from our movement.”
The person familiar with the matter, as well as two other people close to the administration, all said that Trump feels a kinship with Hegseth over attacks from former colleagues, likening the the backlash from former Pentagon officials to what he faced during his first term from Miles Taylor, John Kelly, Mark Milley and other former administration officials who questioned his leadership.
But while many Trump administration officials believe that Hegesth’s job is safe for the moment, some are privately concerned about the situation at the Pentagon.
“There are some people who think Pete’s not doing the best job,” a second person close to the administration, granted anonymity to discuss private details, said. “But the president likes him, the MAGA orbit is united behind Pete and we’ve seen for years now that op-eds from former staffers never really move the needle with Trump.”
The third person close to the administration, while agreeing with that assessment, did note that Trump’s support and patience can waver. “Trump goes to bat for people until the moment he flips on them,” the third person said. “That’s always a possibility”
Hegseth joined Trump at Monday’s Easter Egg Roll and delivered a defiant message to a small group of reporters on the South Lawn, who he blamed for critical coverage.
“This group right here — full of hoaxsters,” Hegseth said. “Full of hoaxsters that peddle anonymous sources from leakers with axes to grind and then you put it all together as if it’s some news story.”
Hegseth, however, did not deny the substance of the NYT report about including family members in his group chat.
“I have spoken to the president and we are going to continue fighting,” he added. “On the same page all the way.”
