Trump ‘stands strongly behind’ Hegseth amid reports of second Signal chat leak, White House says – live

Embattled US defense secretary says he and the president are ‘on the same page all the way’

Donald Trump “stands strongly behind” defense secretary Pete Hegseth, the White House has said, after a Sunday report alleging that he shared sensitive information about planned strikes in Yemen in a private Signal group chat that included his wife and brother.

The White House’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday:

The president absolutely has confidence in secretary Hegseth. I spoke to him about it this morning, and he stands strongly behind him.

This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement.

It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon. From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president – who deserves better from his senior leadership.

President Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remaining in his position for much longer.

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