Hegseth Blasts Media, ‘Disgruntled Former Employees’ Over Signal Controversy

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized the media and what he described as “disgruntled former employees” on Monday, pushing back as coverage intensified around the Signal messaging controversy. Speaking to reporters during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth rejected reports suggesting he participated in a second Signal chat where intelligence about operations in Yemen was discussed. He also emphasized that he remains fully aligned with Donald Trump.

“What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax,” Hegseth said, responding to new reporting from The New York Times. He accused journalists of relying on anonymous sources with personal grievances and attempting to damage reputations through unverified claims.

“This is what the media does,” Hegseth continued. “They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, then try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. That’s not going to work with me. We’re changing the Defense Department and putting the Pentagon back in the hands of war-fighters. Anonymous smears and recycled claims don’t matter.” He added that he was focused on spending time with his family during the Easter event.

When asked whether he had spoken directly with Trump, Hegseth confirmed he had, stating that they remain united moving forward.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed a report from NPR claiming the administration had begun searching for a replacement defense secretary. The story emerged amid an ongoing dispute over information security following revelations that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat involving senior officials discussing a planned strike on Iran-backed Houthi forces.

Additional reporting later alleged that Hegseth may have discussed aspects of a March military operation in Yemen in another Signal conversation that included family members. Despite the controversy, Leavitt strongly rejected claims that Trump was considering replacing Hegseth.

“This @NPR story is total fake news based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about,” Leavitt wrote, adding that the president “stands strongly behind” the defense secretary. The White House’s Rapid Response account also criticized the report, calling it misleading and politically motivated.

The controversy marks the second time Trump has publicly defended Hegseth amid calls from some Democrats for his resignation. During a previous exchange with reporters, Trump dismissed suggestions that Hegseth should step down, arguing that the defense secretary had no direct role in the messaging mishap.

Trump also noted that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had taken responsibility for accidentally adding Goldberg to the Signal chat.

Ultimately, Trump downplayed the broader controversy by highlighting the outcome of the mission itself. “There was no harm done because the attack was unbelievably successful that night,” he said, emphasizing that the operation achieved its objectives despite the communications mishap.