Washington, March 28, 2026 — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized the media and anonymous sources on Monday, dismissing recent reports tied to a Signal messaging app controversy as he appeared at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Hegseth refuted claims of a second Signal chat in which he allegedly disclosed intelligence details about U.S. strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. He asserted full alignment with President 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 told reporters, according to his remarks. “This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees… Not going to work with me, because we’re changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of war-fighters.”
Hegseth, who attended the event with his father and children, confirmed he had spoken with the president. “We are going to continue fighting. On the same page all the way,” he said.
The comments came as the White House pushed back against an NPR report suggesting the administration was seeking a replacement for Hegseth. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the story “total FAKE NEWS” based on a single anonymous source, adding that Trump “
stands strongly behind” the Defense Secretary. The White House Rapid Response account on X echoed the denial, labeling NPR a “Fake News propaganda machine.”
The controversy stems from an earlier Signal group chat that inadvertently included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. A separate New York Times report alleged Hegseth discussed operational details in another chat with family members.
Democrats have called for his resignation, but Trump has repeatedly defended him, attributing the initial addition of Goldberg to national security adviser Mike Waltz and emphasizing the success of the Yemen operation. “There was no harm done because the attack was unbelievably successful,” Trump said previously.
