Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon enemies tried to take him down.
A former Defense Department official publicly blasted his leadership.
And Pete Hegseth’s detractors got body checked in eight brutal words that left them fuming.
Trump gives Defense Secretary his full backing amid Pentagon turmoil
Former Fox News host and current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is in hot water once again at the Pentagon.
After previously facing scrutiny over sharing classified information in an unsecured chat, Hegseth now faces fresh allegations from former Pentagon officials publicly criticizing his leadership.
Former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot penned a scathing op-ed published in Politico on Sunday, claiming “the building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership.”
The New York Times also reported that Hegseth allegedly sent sensitive details about an attack on Yemen in a Signal group that included his family members, raising more security concerns about the Defense Secretary’s communications practices.
But President Donald Trump isn’t abandoning his pick to lead America’s military.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Trump privately reassured Hegseth of his continued support amid the growing controversy, echoing the public backing he’s shown for his embattled Defense Secretary.
“Pete is doing a great job. Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump told reporters at Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll, referring to U.S. military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. “Hegseth 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 that happens.”
Trump Jr. comes out swinging for Hegseth
Donald Trump Jr. wasted no time defending Hegseth and blasting the former Pentagon official who criticized him.
“This guy is not America First,” Trump Jr. wrote on X, referring to Ullyot. “I’ve been hearing for years that he works his ass off to subvert my father’s agenda. That ends today. He’s officially exiled from our movement.”
This guy is not America First. I’ve been hearing for years that he works his ass off to subvert my father’s agenda. That ends today. He’s officially exiled from our movement. https://t.co/C2JnnIPt0y
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 21, 2025
Sources close to the administration revealed that Trump sees parallels between the attacks on Hegseth and criticism he faced during his first term from former staffers who questioned his leadership, including Miles Taylor, John Kelly, and Mark Milley.
This sense of shared experience may be strengthening Trump’s resolve to stand by his Defense Secretary despite the mounting criticism.
Hegseth fights back against critics
Hegseth himself isn’t backing down from the confrontation. When speaking to reporters at Monday’s Easter Egg Roll at the White House, he went on the offensive against the media.
“This group right here — full of hoaxsters,” Hegseth told journalists gathered on the South Lawn. “Full of hoaxsters that peddle anonymous sources from leakers with axes to grind and then you put it all together as if it’s some news story.”
“I have spoken to the president and we are going to continue fighting,” Hegseth added. “On the same page all the way.”
White House fires back at “fake news” media
Trump dismissed the controversy around Hegseth as “a waste of time” and blamed the criticism on “disgruntled employees” while speaking with reporters.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also jumped to Hegseth’s defense, blasting an NPR story about the Pentagon controversy.
“This @NPR story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind @SecDef,” Leavitt posted on X.
The President’s stance sends a clear message to the Pentagon’s old guard: get on board with the Trump-Hegseth agenda or get out of the way.
While some in the administration privately express concerns about the situation at the Pentagon, Trump’s inner circle remains united behind Hegseth for now.
“There are some people who think Pete’s not doing the best job,” one source close to the administration told Politico. “But the president likes him, the MAGA orbit is united behind Pete and we’ve seen for years now that op-eds from former staffers never really move the needle with Trump.”
However, another source close to the administration cautioned that Trump’s loyalty has limits: “Trump goes to bat for people until the moment he flips on them. That’s always a possibility.”
For now, Hegseth remains firmly in place at the Pentagon with the full backing of the President, despite the growing chorus of criticism from former Defense Department officials.
