White House Denies Plans to Replace Defense Secretary Hegseth Amid Controversy

Reports surfaced alleging that the Trump administration is seeking to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth due to controversy over leaked Signal chats in which Hegseth shared details of planned strikes in Yemen with unauthorized individuals, including his wife and brother. Multiple outlets, citing anonymous sources, claimed the White House had begun searching for a successor, highlighting a period of turmoil and the firing of several senior Department of Defense officials. However, both the Trump administration and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have forcefully denied these reports, labeling them as 'fake news' and reiterating President Trump's strong support for Hegseth. The administration attributed the stories to disgruntled former officials and media bias, while a Department of Defense spokesperson stated that no classified information was shared in the Signal chats. The controversy has reignited criticism of Hegseth's leadership, with some Democrats calling for his replacement and former Pentagon officials describing his tenure as chaotic. Despite the mounting scrutiny, the White House remains publicly committed to Hegseth.