White House plagued by Signal controversy as Pentagon in “full-blown meltdown”

It's possible that the White House may be looking to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after critics warned that a pair of controversial Signal chats risked compromising US national security.

In March, it was revealed that Hegseth accidentally texted secret bombing plans in a Signal chat that included a reporter, raising alarms about his handling of sensitive military information. And then this weekend, The New York Times revealed that he similarly shared the attack plans, just minutes after learning of them, in a personal Signal chat that included his wife and brother.

That second revelation sparked a "full-blown meltdown" at the Pentagon, The Guardian reported, apparently prompting the Trump administration to begin "the process of looking for a new secretary of defense," a US official granted anonymity told NPR Monday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed NPR's report was "fake news," writing on X that NPR's source "clearly has no idea what they are talking about." On Monday, Trump defended Hegseth's Signal use, insisting that the defense secretary is "doing a great job," NBC News reported.

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Critics have urged Trump to take Hegseth's unauthorized Signal use seriously, warning that sharing confidential military information puts US operations and personnel at risk. On Sunday, former chief Pentagon spokesperson, John Ullyot, warned in a Politico op-ed that Hegseth's sloppy Signal use had caused "a near collapse inside the Pentagon’s top ranks." Perhaps hoping to appeal to Trump's ego, Ullyot warned that Hegseth's scandal has been a "major distraction" and declared that Trump—who "has a strong record of holding his top officials to account"—"deserves better."

"Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer," Ullyot forecasted.

According to NPR—which has been the target of Trump threats to rescind funding—four of Hegseth's senior advisors abruptly quit after The Times report was published. "They have all released public statements suggesting infighting within the department of defense," NPR reported.

But Trump and Hegseth are presenting a united front against the public backlash. Trump confirmed that he considers any discussion of Hegseth's chats a "waste of time," The New York Times reported. And on Sunday, Hegseth told reporters gathered for a White House Easter event that he and Trump are "on the same page all the way."

Hegseth labeled The Times' latest report as a "hit piece." Citing four people familiar with his family Signal chat, NYT report noted that Hegseth updated both Signal groups about the attack plans at about the same time, and these "were among the first big military strikes of Mr. Hegseth’s tenure."

The implication is that if the media hadn't outed the Signal use, perhaps Hegseth may have continued risking leaks of confidential military information. And although he and Trump hope the backlash will die down soon, his inclusion of his wife and brother on the second chat likely raises additional flags and "is sure to raise further questions about his adherence to security protocols," the NYT suggested.

Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, joined the White House in pushing back against reports, claiming the NYT's sources are "disgruntled" former employees and insisting on X that "there was no classified information in any Signal chat."

According to The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, who was accidentally copied on the initial Signal chat that sparked the backlash, Hegseth shared "precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing" two hours before the attack.