Another Top Democrat Sounds Alarm on Pete Hegseth, Suggests His Ouster Is Looming
A prominent Democrat is stoking speculation that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may soon be on the chopping block—despite firm denials from President Donald Trump.
In an interview on MSNBC Thursday, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, predicted that Hegseth could be the next Cabinet official shown the door.
“I think there’s more to this than meets the eye,” Bennet said. “It’s remarkable that even Donald Trump is acknowledging cracks in his national security team. What’s truly alarming is that Secretary Hegseth—someone who never should’ve been confirmed in the first place—shared battle plans and classified information via a Signal chat, including with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic.”
Bennet emphasized the severity of the breach: “I’ve rarely seen anything as sensitive as what Hegseth leaked. The pressure is mounting, and I believe it’s only a matter of time before he’s gone. Trump once said Waltz would never be ousted—and yet, here we are. Hegseth could be next.”
The White House, however, remains defiant. During a prime-time interview marking his 100th day in office, President Trump dismissed ABC’s Terry Moran when asked about Hegseth’s status, calling the question “stupid.”
Pressed on whether he had reprimanded Hegseth over the controversy, Trump was tight-lipped: “I had a talk with him… it was a good talk.”
He defended his embattled defense chief, calling him “young, smart, highly educated,” and expressed full support: “I think he’s going to be a very good—hopefully great—Defense Secretary.”
When asked point-blank if he had full confidence in Hegseth, Trump replied cryptically: “We will.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later reaffirmed Trump’s backing, saying the president stood by Hegseth amid claims he had disclosed sensitive details about a March military raid targeting Houthi forces in Yemen. The Signal chat reportedly included his wife, brother, personal attorney—and Goldberg, who later published the exchange.
This marks the second time Trump has dismissed calls for Hegseth’s resignation. When pressed last month about the leaked messages, Trump was unapologetic: “Hegseth is doing a great job. He had nothing to do with this. Why are you dragging him into it?”
He downplayed any risk the leak may have posed, stressing the mission’s outcome: “There was no harm done—the attack was unbelievably successful.”
Trump also turned his ire on the messaging app itself: “It’s all a witch hunt. You want to talk about Signal? I don’t even know if Signal works. Honestly, I think Signal might be defective.”
Despite Trump’s insistence that the issue is overblown, Democrats and national security experts warn the controversy isn’t going away—and neither, it seems, are the calls for Hegseth’s resignation.
