The Trump White House swiftly rebuked a report from NPR on Monday that claimed the administration was quietly searching for a replacement for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following alleged mishandling of classified information. The administration dismissed the article as “fake news,” calling the report baseless and politically motivated.

“This ⁦@NPR⁩ story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X. “As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind ⁦@SecDef⁩.”

President Donald Trump offered a full-throated defense of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, brushing off media reports alleging misconduct. “He’s doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump said.

The remarks came amid growing scrutiny over reports that Hegseth shared sensitive information in a private Signal chat. But both Trump and Hegseth dismissed the claims as politically motivated and baseless. Hegseth, speaking at the White House Easter Egg Roll earlier in the day, pushed back forcefully against the allegations.

“This is what the media does, they take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people, ruin their reputation. It’s not going to work with me,” he said.

via X

The original report from NPR, citing a single unnamed U.S. official, claimed the White House had begun the process of evaluating new candidates to lead the Pentagon. The source alleged that concerns over Hegseth’s recent use of the encrypted Signal app to share details about airstrikes in Yemen prompted the internal discussions. The report further stated that Hegseth had shared operational details in chats involving his wife, brother, and lawyer — a claim he vehemently denied.

Their comments appeared to refer to a group of four Pentagon advisers who either resigned or were removed in recent days. John Ullyot, a former Defense Department spokesperson, was among them. In an op-ed following his resignation, Ullyot described the past month at the Pentagon as “a full-blown meltdown,” blaming internal conflict and leadership issues according to NPR.

Three other officials — Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darin Selnick — were reportedly escorted out of the building and later issued a joint statement denying any wrongdoing. Caldwell and Selnick previously worked with Hegseth at Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative advocacy organization.

Despite these developments, GOP lawmakers have largely rallied behind Hegseth. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) posted, “We’re with Secretary Hegseth,” signaling continued support from House Republicans.

In November, Trump nominated Hegseth to serve as Secretary of Defense. Despite some concerns, he was confirmed by the Senate on January 24, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration proposed eliminating nearly all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports NPR and PBS. The proposal aims to rescind $1.1 billion over two years, citing concerns about perceived liberal bias in public media.

The administration’s efforts have been supported by some Republican lawmakers, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who chaired a subcommittee hearing accusing NPR and PBS of left-wing bias.

Hegseth remains in charge at the Pentagon — and President Trump is making it clear he has no plans to change that.