White House Eyes Replacement for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Amid Classified Info Leak Controversy

The White House is quietly exploring the possibility of replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. The move follows growing concerns over Hegseth’s alleged mishandling of classified military information.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host turned Pentagon chief, is under scrutiny for reportedly sharing classified operational details in a private Signal group chat with his wife, brother, and lawyer. According to the official, the messages included minute-by-minute information about U.S. airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen — data that should never have left secure channels.

In a separate incident that same month, Hegseth allegedly shared similar sensitive information in another Signal chat with senior White House officials. That group, accidentally including a journalist, further raised alarm. The details of upcoming airstrikes were leaked just hours before they occurred — a lapse that experts say could have endangered American pilots if intercepted by adversaries. The Houthis have already downed two U.S. drones in recent months, escalating fears of compromised security.

Despite the controversy, the Trump administration is publicly standing behind Hegseth. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied any effort to remove him, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that President Trump “stands strongly” by his defense secretary.

When pressed by reporters, Trump brushed off the allegations as overblown.

“He’s doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” the president said.

At a White House Easter event earlier this week, Hegseth dismissed the accusations, blaming disgruntled former staff for the leaks.

“This is what the media does — they use anonymous sources from former employees trying to burn reputations. It won’t work on me,” he said.

His remarks come after a wave of resignations and dismissals inside the Pentagon. Four top advisers exited abruptly last week, including former Defense Department spokesperson John Ullyot, who later described the internal environment as a “full-blown meltdown.”

Three other advisers — Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darin Selnick — were escorted out of the building and accused of leaking information to the press. In a joint statement posted to X, they pushed back hard, saying they were never told what they were accused of leaking.

“All three of us served honorably — two of us deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. We understand the importance of information security and worked daily to protect it,” they wrote.

Caldwell and Selnick, both longtime allies of Hegseth, previously worked with him at the conservative veterans’ advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the issue reflects deeper problems — not just with Hegseth’s actions, but with Trump’s decision to appoint him in the first place.

“Ultimate responsibility lies with President Trump for appointing a former weekend TV host with no proven experience to lead the largest department in the U.S. government,” she said.

As internal tensions mount and questions swirl around national security breaches, the future of Pete Hegseth’s role at the Pentagon remains uncertain. While the White House continues to publicly defend him, behind closed doors, the search for a successor may already be underway.

Source: NPR – Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary