CNN thought they had another Pentagon scandal to push.
But one Republican Congressman wasn’t having any of it.
And Byron Donalds destroyed CNN hosts with this brutal takedown of their Pete Hegseth witch hunt.
Florida Republican shuts down manufactured outrage over Defense Secretary’s leadership
The mainstream media has been in full attack mode against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for weeks now.
Their latest manufactured scandal revolves around allegations that Hegseth shared details about military operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen on a Signal chat that included his wife.
CNN’s Sara Sidner tried to push this narrative during an interview with Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, but she instantly regretted it.
Donalds fired back with a blistering reality check that left the CNN host scrambling.
“No, and I think, obviously, President Trump is standing behind Pete Hegseth, so is Vice President Vance, and the rest of the White House team. Let’s be very clear, this is an allegation, apparently, from somebody who’s been dismissed,” Donalds responded when asked if Trump should fire Hegseth.
The Florida Congressman reminded viewers that these claims come from disgruntled former staffers with an ax to grind.
“These type of things, unfortunately, do happen where, you know, somebody’s upset and they want to leave. But before we jump to conclusions, let’s actually make sure we have all the facts, not just run to headlines,” Donalds explained.
Donalds highlights Hegseth’s real achievements while CNN pushes gossip
The mainstream media seems determined to ignore the actual improvements at the Pentagon under Hegseth’s leadership.
Donalds wasn’t about to let that slide.
“Pete Hegseth is doing a great job as the head of the Department of Defense,” Donalds said. “Like the Vice President was saying in the cut you just played, recruitment is up, morale is up.”
Sidner desperately tried to change the subject, bringing up claims that the White House couldn’t reach Hegseth’s chief of staff for three weeks.
But Donalds wasn’t falling for it.
“Look, first of all, let’s lay out a couple things. Pete Hegseth has been on the job, what, six weeks now? Just about,” Donalds fired back. “They’re going through the Department of Defense, obviously trying to find inefficiencies, making sure there are not legacy staffers and political appointees at DOD, who, to be frank with you, are opposed to the agenda of President Trump.”
Congressman exposes liberal media’s double standard
Donalds then turned the tables on CNN, pointing out their glaring hypocrisy when it came to Pentagon leadership.
“Number two, nobody was saying a word when Lloyd Austin, the previous defense secretary, disappeared for a month. Nobody could find him,” Donalds said, referring to Biden’s Defense Secretary who vanished while secretly hospitalized.
When Sidner tried to interrupt, claiming CNN had covered the Austin story, Donalds wasn’t having it.
“Nobody could get a memo signed by the chief of staff for three weeks? This is not even the same type of story,” he explained.
Donalds went on to highlight that Austin’s disappearance was “significantly worse” than the allegations against Hegseth, especially considering that “The president at the time did not know where he was. Nobody knew where he was.”
Media obsession with scandal ignores real military improvements
Throughout the interview, Donalds repeatedly brought the conversation back to what actually matters – the improved state of America’s military under Trump and Hegseth.
“That’s what we should be focused on, not new allegations because CNN and other news medias want something to talk about,” Donalds stated bluntly.
When pressed further about Hegseth’s use of Signal, Donalds called out the media’s obsession with what he called “Signal Gate 2.0.”
“Pete Hegseth has done his job as Secretary of Defense right now. Recruitment is up. We were hemorrhaging soldiers at the Department of Defense under the previous administration. That is a fact. Nobody can debate that,” Donalds declared.
He concluded by emphasizing what really matters: “What we are focused on is making sure that the military and the Department of Defense has the troops that it needs, has the focus that it needs to take on the challenges facing the United States of America and that if the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has to call on our military to come to action, like they actually had to do during the situation with the Houthis, that the Department of Defense is prepared to respond, respond quickly and to be effective.”
The exchange highlighted exactly why Americans are fed up with the mainstream media. While outlets like CNN obsess over gossip and anonymous allegations, real leaders like Congressman Donalds and Secretary Hegseth are focused on rebuilding America’s military might.
