Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is locked in open warfare with his own Pentagon, a hotbed of distrust and dysfunction that commands the most powerful military on the face of the Earth.
Why it matters: No Trump Cabinet official has endured more turmoil in less time than Hegseth, who survived a nasty confirmation battle only to be burned — again and again — by leaks, blunders and now backlash from his own handpicked aides.
- President Trump so far is standing firmly behind Hegseth, a former Fox News host tapped to lead a radical overhaul of the largest and most complex agency in the U.S. government.
- But inside the Pentagon, the knives are out — testing Trump’s tolerance for chaos when it’s not his own.
Zoom in: Hegseth, whose on-camera talent helped endear him to Trump, lashed out Monday when asked about new reports that he shared sensitive military plans in a second Signal chat with his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
- Just days earlier, three top Pentagon officials — including two of Hegseth’s closest aides — were fired after an investigation into alleged leaks. All three vigorously deny the accusations.
- “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 at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
“This is what the media does,” he continued, turning to look directly into the camera.
- “They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not going to work with me.”
Reality check: Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, who resigned just last week, did not hide behind anonymity when he uncorked a scathing op-ed in Politico on Sunday suggesting Trump should fire Hegseth.
- Ullyot, a longtime Trump loyalist who touted his early support for Hegseth, said the Pentagon has been in “full-blown meltdown” for the past month — and that more “bombshell” leaks should be expected.
The intrigue: “This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News in an interview defending Hegseth.
- Leavitt’s quote was then amplified by the Defense Department’s rapid-response account on X — with the word “ENTIRE” in all-caps.
- The extraordinary claim — that the nerve center of American military power is actively working to sabotage its own civilian leader — reflects the depth of suspicion that has taken root inside the Pentagon.
Between the lines: Top MAGA influencers argue Hegseth is under fire precisely because he’s been effective — citing rising military recruitment, the elimination of DEI programs, and the reduced influence of “warmongers.”
- Democrats — and even some moderate Republicans — counter that he’s invited scandal through a mix of inexperience, poor judgment and a culture of loyalty over competence.
- They point to Hegseth’s confusing rollout of U.S.-Ukraine policy, the Signalgate saga, scuttled plans to give Elon Musk a top-secret briefing on China, and allegations of substance abuse.
- “I like him on Fox. But does he have the experience to lead one of the largest organizations in the world? That’s a concern,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), the first Republican to call for Hegseth’s firing, told Politico.
The bottom line: Trump is reflexively resistant to firing any official — let alone one MAGA fought so hard to confirm — who comes under scrutiny from the media.
- “Ask the Houthis how much dysfunction there is. There’s none,” Trump told reporters Monday, referring to the Iranian-backed group in Yemen that the U.S. has been bombarding for weeks.
- “Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him.”