WH says Trump supports Hegseth, claims ‘entire Pentagon’ working against defense secretary after second Signal chat revealed

The White House backed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Monday aft a study revealed he sent accusation astir a March onslaught against Houthis successful Yemen to friends and household via a Signal chat radical — with property caput Karoline Leavitt claiming the “entire Pentagon” is moving against the DOD leader.

“The president stands powerfully down Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal occupation starring the Pentagon,” Leavitt told “Fox & Friends.”

“This is what happens erstwhile the full Pentagon is moving against you and against the monumental alteration that you are trying to implement.”

Hegseth was portion of a alleged “principals’ committee” Signal radical astir the March 15 strikes that included Atlantic mag editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who revealed that helium had been fto successful connected the onslaught plans days later, causing a little furor successful Washington.

Much of the blasted for the fiasco was placed connected nationalist information advisor Mike Waltz, who took work for adding Goldberg’s interaction info alternatively than that of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Late Sunday, the New York Times reported that Hegseth had besides sent accusation astir the strikes to a 2nd radical chat that included his wife, member and idiosyncratic attorney.

This chat reportedly included “essentially the aforesaid onslaught plans” that Hegseth shared with the principals’ committee, including formation schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis.

Jennifer Hegseth is not a DOD worker but has travelled connected overseas trips with him. His member Phil and lawyer Tim Parlatore enactment successful the Pentagon, but it’s unclear wherefore they would request entree to the onslaught plans.

“What a large astonishment that a fewer leakers get fired and abruptly a clump of deed pieces travel retired from the aforesaid media that peddled the Russia hoax [and] won’t springiness backmost their Pulitzers,” Hegseth told reporters Monday greeting caput of the White House Easter Egg Roll.

“This is what the media does,” helium added. “They instrumentality anonymous sources from disgruntled erstwhile employees and past they effort to slash and pain radical and ruin their reputations.”

“Another day, different aged communicative — backmost from the dead,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote connected X successful effect to the Times report. “There was nary classified accusation successful immoderate Signal chat, nary substance however galore ways they effort to constitute the story.”

Earlier Sunday, Politico published an op-ed by erstwhile main Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot, who resigned past week, successful which helium claimed that “it’s been a period of full chaos astatine the Pentagon.”

“In short, the gathering is successful disarray nether Hegseth’s leadership,” Ullyot wrote.

“There are precise apt much shoes to driblet successful abbreviated order, with adjacent bigger bombshell stories coming this week, cardinal Pentagon reporters person been telling sources privately.”

On Friday, Hegseth dismissed 3 apical staffers implicit leaks — elder advisor Dan Caldwell, lawman main of unit Darin Selnick and main of unit to the lawman caput of Defense Colin Carroll.