President Trump delivered a pointed response when asked by a reporter whether he still has confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following the latest Signal chat leak. The question came after NPR published a critical report claiming the White House is actively searching for a replacement for Hegseth, an article the president promptly and pointedly dismissed as a smear from the “Fake News” media.
“It’s just fake news,” President Trump said to reporter at the Annual White House Easter Egg Roll. “You know, he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people, and that’s what he’s doing. You don’t always have friends when you do that. He is doing a great job … Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump noted further, in reference to the ongoing US strikes on Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
.@POTUS on @SecDef: “He is doing a great job … Ask the Houthis how he’s doing.” pic.twitter.com/O0vp2sX69x
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 21, 2025
This @NPR story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about.
As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind @SecDef. https://t.co/5Npig8968v
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 21, 2025
As previously reported, three aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who were placed on leave during a leak investigation have now been officially terminated. On Friday, it was also reported that Hegseth’s Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper, is stepping down as part of a broader shakeup at the Pentagon following the probe into unauthorized disclosures.
The Pentagon initially placed two senior political appointees on administrative leave Tuesday amid an investigation into potential leaks of classified information, according to three sources who spoke with Politico. Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the building by security personnel and had his access suspended pending further inquiry, the officials said on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing probe.
Darin Selnick, the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff, was also suspended and escorted out of the building as part of the investigation, according to one official. The probe is looking into leaks that include military operational plans for the Panama Canal, details of a second carrier bound for the Red Sea, reports concerning Elon Musk’s controversial visit to the Pentagon, and the halt of intelligence collection for Ukraine, the other official explained to Politico.
While Reuters first reported Caldwell’s removal, Selnick’s suspension and the specific focus of the leaks had not been reported previously. These suspensions occur as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to crack down on leaks within the Defense Department. A March memo from Hegseth’s chief of staff had directed the Pentagon’s director for defense intelligence to investigate unauthorized disclosures and authorized the use of polygraphs.