US president calls latest controversy over defence chief’s handling of military information a ‘waste of time’.
United States President Donald Trump has backed his defence chief following reports he shared sensitive military information in a second Signal group chat, branding the latest controversy about the top Pentagon official a “waste of time”.
Trump’s backing of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday came after multiple media outlets reported that the defence chief had shared details about planned bombing raids on Yemen in a group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
The reports have reignited scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership, following revelations last month that he shared details about upcoming air strikes on Houthi rebels in a Signal group chat that the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine had been mistakenly added to.
“Here we go again. Just a waste of time,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“He is doing a great job.”
“Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump added.
Trump also suggested that Hegseth, a former US Army National Guard officer and Fox News host, was the victim of “disgruntled employees”, after several of his former aides, including his former press secretary, John Ullyot, publicly criticised him.
In an op-ed published on Sunday, Ullyot, one of four defence officials that Hegseth fired or asked to resign in the last week, wrote that the Pentagon was in “disarray” and “total chaos” under the secretary’s leadership.
“They just bring up stories,” Trump said.
“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.”
Hegseth also hit out at the criticisms, accusing the media of using former employees with grievances “to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations”.
Numerous Democratic lawmakers, including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, have called on Hegseth to resign or be fired over the controversy.
Republicans, with the exception of Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska – who has called for Hegseth’s removal – have either remained silent or rallied to his defence.
“It seems like the leak investigation at the Pentagon needs to continue to find these latest leakers,” Republican Senator Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on X.
“Secretary Hegseth is busy implementing President Trump’s America First agenda, while these leakers are trying to undermine them both. Shameful.”