Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
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Pentagon Chief Used Unsecured Internet Line for Signal Messages
Above: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2025. Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
The tsunami of allegations against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a Democrat ploy to fool President Trump into sacking Hegseth in an attempt to humiliate the president’s son, who pushed for Hegseth’s confirmation. The president, however, is not going to play ball. Pete Hegseth is the best defense secretary the U.S. has had in a long time, and he has the White House’s full backing for it.
Opposition narrative
The controversy surrounding Hegseth thickens. In just the past week, it was revealed that the defense secretary shared sensitive intel in not one but two Signal chats, and repeatedly violated Pentagon safeguards on electronic devices. Unless the administration fires Hegseth, or he resigns, it is only a matter of time before the reckless handling of sensitive information ends in tragedy.