Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
NPR Online News3 days ago
White House Denies NPR Report on Possible Hegseth Firing
Above: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pictured at the White House Easter Egg Roll on April 21, 2025. Image copyright: Matt McClain/Contributor/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
The reports that the White House plans to axe Pete Hegseth are fake news. Unlike previous defense secretaries, Hegseth, a decorated warfighter, has the courage and conviction to root out the corruption and incompetence in the Pentagon that was allowed to fester under the Biden administration. Hegseth is the right man to lead the Department of Defense and has President Trump's full backing.
Opposition narrative
Hegseth's reckless behavior is a clear indicator, as any, that he is wholly unfit to hold the office of U.S. Secretary of Defense. His persistent leaking of military information via Signal and the unauthorized inclusion of his wife in sensitive meetings with foreign defense officials put national security and American military personnel at risk. Hegseth has to go.