White House Reportedly Seeking Replacement for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

 

The White House is actively searching for a replacement for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a U.S. official confirmed to NPR on Monday.

This development follows a Sunday report from The New York Times, which revealed that Hegseth had shared classified information about a U.S. military strike in Yemen with his wife and brother via text message. According to the NPR source, the messages were sent through Signal using Hegseth’s personal phone.

The incident adds to a mounting list of controversies surrounding Hegseth. Four senior advisers recently left the Pentagon, some in connection to an investigation into leaks to the press. Hegseth was also reportedly involved in a separate leak scandal, in which sensitive details of the Yemen operation were discussed in a Signal group chat that mistakenly included The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.

Hegseth, 44, has been a polarizing figure since his appointment by President Donald Trump. Critics pointed to his lack of military leadership experience, controversial views on women in combat roles, and past allegations of alcoholism. His nomination narrowly passed the Senate on January 24 after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote.

Despite the latest revelations, the White House maintained public support for Hegseth on Monday. President Trump dismissed the reports as media exaggeration.

“Pete’s doing a great job,” Trump told reporters. “Everybody is happy with him. We have the best recruitment numbers we’ve had in 28 years. It’s just fake news.”

 

Still, discontent is growing within Republican ranks. Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican and member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Politico that Hegseth should be fired.

“I had concerns from the get-go because Pete Hegseth didn’t have a lot of experience,” Bacon said. “I like him on Fox. But does he have the experience to lead one of the largest organizations in the world? That’s a concern.”

Bacon added that other GOP lawmakers have expressed similar worries privately. He believes Hegseth should resign if the latest reports are accurate.

“There’s a lot—a lot—of smoke coming out of the Pentagon,” Bacon said. “And I’ve got to believe there’s some fire there somewhere.”