Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been privately told to change course over fears that he could get himself fired, according to a report, as scandals continue to plague the Pentagon.
Officials in and outside of the Pentagon even staged an intervention with Hegseth, Politico reports, amid his latest drama surrounding his decision to fire three Pentagon aides while accusing them of leaking from the department.
Multiple Trump administration officials, including those in the Pentagon and the White House, fear the men fired by Hegseth this spring—Darin Selnick, Dan Caldwell, and Colin Carroll—were wrongfully accused, the outlet added.
Some White House officials and aides for Vice President JD Vance even began conducting their own investigations and asked for proof the three were actually behind any leaks, which Hegseth’s team did not have, unnamed sources told Politico.
“There’s going to be more shoes to drop all around,” a person close to Hegseth told the publication.
Hegseth’s tenure as defense secretary has been marred by wave after wave of scandal, including the furor over the existence of a Signal group chat where plans to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen were openly discussed among Trump administration officials, alongside The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who was accidentally added to the chat.
Hegseth also allegedly took it upon himself to halt the shipment of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, which President Donald Trump went on to overturn. Trump later had to play dumb to reporters and claim he didn’t know who authorized the suspension while sitting next to the defense secretary.
The scandals continue to mount for Hegseth, with the Daily Mail alleging last week that multiple Pentagon officials have called for his removal, and The Washington Post reporting that messages sent between Trump officials in the Signal group chat included classified information.
Several figures close to Hegseth are now urging him to apologize to the three Pentagon aides he fired in order to keep on top of the latest controversy, according to Politico.
“If there’s any chance at Pete resetting and ensuring that whatever time he has left in this position is well served, he’s got to [apologize]—otherwise Pete is just doubling down on the lie,” one person close to Hegseth told the outlet.
For now, the White House and the Pentagon are standing by Hegseth, who has already been criticized for lacking the necessary experience to lead the Pentagon and faced serious questions about his previous conduct.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told the Daily Beast: “Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, recruitment is breaking records and putting the previous administration’s numbers to shame. Men and women across the country are proud to have a Secretary of Defense who is getting back to basics, reviving the warrior ethos, and putting America First.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly added to the Daily Beast that Trump has “full confidence” in Hegseth, and that he is doing an “incredible job” leading the Department of Defense.
“The Secretary played a critical role in ensuring the flawless execution of Operation Midnight Hammer, and the entire administration is behind his mission to prioritize our warfighters, eliminate terrorists, and restore common sense to our military,” Kelly said, referring to the operation to bomb military sites in Iran.
“If they want to give Pete a pass—fine,” one Hegseth critic told Politico of the administration’s continued support. “Because at the end of the day, he’s going to keep f---ing up.”
Vance’s office did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from the Daily Beast.
