US president calls latest controversy over defence chief’s handling of military information a ‘waste of time’.
United States President Donald Trump has supported his defense chief despite reports of sharing sensitive military information in a second Signal group chat, dismissing the recent controversy surrounding the Pentagon official as a “waste of time”.
Trump’s endorsement of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday followed multiple media reports claiming that he disclosed details of planned bombing raids on Yemen in a group chat involving his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
These reports have brought renewed scrutiny on Hegseth’s leadership, following previous revelations that he shared information about upcoming airstrikes on Houthi rebels in a Signal group chat that mistakenly included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine.
“Here we go again. Just a waste of time,” commented Trump at the White House.
“He is doing a great job.”
“Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump continued.
Furthermore, Trump insinuated that Hegseth, a former US Army National Guard officer and Fox News host, was being targeted by “disgruntled employees” after several former aides, including his ex-press secretary John Ullyot, publicly criticized him.
Ullyot, who was one of four defense officials fired or asked to resign by Hegseth in the past week, expressed in an op-ed published on Sunday that the Pentagon was in “disarray” and “total chaos” under the current leadership.
“They just bring up stories,” remarked Trump.
“I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees. You know, he 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 you do that.”
Responding to the criticisms, Hegseth criticized the media for utilizing former employees with grievances “to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations”.
Various Democratic lawmakers, including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, have called for Hegseth’s resignation or termination over the issue.
Most Republicans, apart from Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska – who has demanded Hegseth’s removal – have either stayed silent or defended him.
“It seems like the leak investigation at the Pentagon needs to continue to find these latest leakers,” stated Republican Senator Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
“Secretary Hegseth is busy implementing President Trump’s America First agenda, while these leakers are trying to undermine them both. Shameful.”
