President Donald Trump is still on Pete Hegseth's side despite all the scrutiny against the defense secretary. SOURCE: MEGA
When things got tense, President Donald Trump doubled down on Pete Hegseth.
With pressure growing over Hegseth’s role at the Pentagon, Trump stood firm. He said he’s confident Hegseth will “get it together” after their private and revealing meeting.
In an interview with The Atlantic, Trump, 78, faced tough questions about the controversy swirling around Pete Hegseth—including reports that Hegseth demanded a makeup room at the Pentagon for TV touch-ups.
Trump responded confidently: “I think he’s gonna get it together. I had a talk with him—a positive talk—but I had a talk with him.”
After Trump’s comment, a reporter pressed Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt with a pointed question: “Does the president think Hegseth doesn’t ‘have it together’ right now?”
Leavitt stood firm. “The president has made his position on Secretary Hegseth quite clear,” she said.
She continued, “He fully supports the secretary’s ability to lead the Pentagon. That’s exactly why he nominated him.”
Leavitt emphasized Hegseth’s mission: “He’s staying focused on defending our warfighters and carrying out President Trump’s peace-through-strength foreign policy. The president stands by him.”
@cheddar Cheddar Correspondent Margaret Chadbourn pressed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on whether embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was doing a good job after President Trump suggested improvements are needed. Leavitt told Cheddar that Trump continues to have confidence in Hegseth, despite saying in a recent Atlantic interview “he’s going to get it together,” following a series of missteps, including sharing sensitive national security military plans over Signal group chats. #trump #whitehouse #washington #dc #usa #security #press #pentagon #news ♬ original sound - Cheddar
Last week, Hegseth faced ridicule after reports claimed he approved a pricey glam room makeover at the Pentagon, costing thousands.
After the story broke, Hegseth fired back on X. He called it a “totally fake story,” insisting there were “no ‘orders’ and no ‘makeup.’”
Still, the glam room drama is the least of his worries. Hegseth is drowning in controversy over leaked Signal chats and his chaotic grip on Pentagon leadership. One bombshell report even alleges he shared classified military plans in a group chat—with his wife, brother, and lawyer.
Hegseth’s Pentagon drama only got worse after reports revealed he previously shared U.S. strike plans against the Houthis in Yemen. The kicker? National security adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief to the same Signal chat.
Although Hegseth denies leaking classified intel, insiders say the White House has already started searching for his replacement. One anonymous U.S. official told NPR, “The White House has begun the process of looking for a new Secretary of Defense.”
The fallout has been swift. GOP Rep. Don Bacon was the first in Congress to publicly call for Hegseth’s firing. He didn’t mince words:
“If a Democrat did this, we’d be demanding a scalp. I don’t like hypocrisy. Operational security is non-negotiable.”
Democrats echoed the demand. Rep. Don Beyer slammed Hegseth, saying his “pattern of flagrant disregard” proves he’s “unfit and unqualified.” He quoted Hegseth’s own past words:
“Any security professional would be fired on the spot for this conduct.”
Beyer added, “He must resign. If he won’t, Trump must fire him. Every day he stays is a threat to national security.”
Yet Trump continues to stand by his embattled Defense Secretary. At the White House Easter Egg Roll, he brushed off the scandal:
“He’s doing a great job. It’s fake news—just disgruntled employees making noise.”
Trump doubled down on his support for Hegseth, saying, “He was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people—and that’s what he’s doing. You don’t always make friends doing that.”
He added a jab of defiance: “Ask the Houthis how much dysfunction there is. There’s none. Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him.”
Meanwhile, Hegseth made it clear—he’s not going anywhere.
“I haven’t blinked and I won’t blink,” he said. “This job is too big and too important for the American people. I’m grateful for every opportunity the president has given me.”
