The White House stood firmly behind Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, as fresh controversy swirled around leaked communications and internal Pentagon dissent. During a press briefing in the James S. Brady Room, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed recent allegations that Hegseth improperly shared sensitive military information and is facing internal resistance.
Asked about her comments on Fox News claiming the “entire Pentagon is working against Secretary Hegseth,” Leavitt responded, “They were Pentagon employees who leaked against their boss to news agencies in this room,” dodging the question about management issues and staff firings, told KOMO News.
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She further emphasized the administration’s zero-tolerance policy on internal leaks, stating, “It’s been clear since day one in this administration that we are not going to tolerate individuals who leak to the mainstream media, particularly when it comes to sensitive information.”
Leavitt went on to praise Hegseth’s leadership, claiming he has brought “monumental change” to the Defense Department despite opposition. “There are a lot of people in this city who reject monumental change,” she said. “And I think, frankly, that’s why we have seen a smear campaign against the Secretary of Defense from the moment that President Trump announced his nomination.”
“Let me reiterate the president stands behind Hegseth and the change he’s bringing to the Pentagon, and the results he’s achieved thus far speak for themselves,” she added.
The press conference came as new details emerged about a controversial Signal group chat incident involving Hegseth. NBC News reported that Hegseth allegedly used his personal phone to relay operational information from Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, to at least two group chats.
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Sources say the material included details on U.S. fighter movements and strike timings. According to two officials, less than 10 minutes had passed since Hegseth received the data and forwarded it via Signal. The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, denied any wrongdoing, stating, “No classified material was ever shared via Signal,” calling the accusations “an attempt to sabotage President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.”
In a Tuesday morning appearance on Fox and Friends, Hegseth dismissed the allegations, blaming “disgruntled” former employees for fabricating the story. “We take the classification of new information very seriously,” he said. “We did a serious leak investigation… through that investigation, they have been moved on.” Hegseth concluded by insisting all operations are “above board” and reiterated his commitment to protecting national security information.
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