Trump Defends Pete Hegseth Amid Resignation Calls

President Donald Trump has publicly defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after controversy over a leaked Signal group chat involving details about a military strike in Yemen. The issue grew after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was reportedly added to the chat by mistake and later published the messages.

Some Democratic lawmakers quickly called for Hegseth to resign, arguing that sensitive military details should never have been shared on a messaging app not designed for classified communication. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego were among those demanding accountability, saying the mistake could have put lives at risk.

Trump, however, rejected the criticism and strongly supported Hegseth. He said Hegseth was doing a “fantastic job” and insisted the military operation itself was successful, arguing that no harm was done. Instead, Trump pointed to National Security Advisor Mike Waltz as the person who accepted responsibility for Goldberg being included in the conversation.

Hegseth also defended himself, saying he did not share classified war plans and described the messages as general team updates. He argued that the details did not include specific targets, locations, or sensitive operational secrets, and said critics were exaggerating the situation.

The controversy has fueled another sharp political divide in Washington, with critics calling it a serious security failure and supporters dismissing it as a political attack. For now, Trump’s backing makes it clear that Hegseth is not stepping down anytime soon.