President Donald Trump is starting to grow weary of the ongoing controversies plaguing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a new report.
While the president has stood by Hegseth in public, he has shown less enthusiasm behind closed doors, The Atlantic reported Friday, citing several unnamed sources familiar with White House discussions.
“[Trump] is starting to tire of the scandals surrounding Hegseth and does not push back when others suggest Hegseth is not up for the job, an outside adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official told us,” The Atlantic reported.
An unnamed senior administration told the outlet it’s been a “rough week for Pete.”
Spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.
The president’s apparent dissatisfaction comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny for authorizing a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2. The follow-up strike — referred to by some as a double tap — was launched after two survivors were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.
On Thursday, Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, the Navy SEAL officer who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, showed lawmakers footage of the lethal strikes and answered questions.
Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters the footage was “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.” In contrast, Tom Cotton, GOP chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the strikes “righteous” and “entirely lawful.”
Hegseth, on Tuesday, said the attack took place within “the fog of war” and said Bradley acted “within his authority and the law.”
Beyond the double-tap controversy, Hegseth has drawn broader criticism for his campaign targeting suspected traffickers, which has resulted in at least 86 deaths. Some lawmakers and human rights organizations have labeled the attacks illegal, alleging they are being used to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Republicans, however, have largely backed the strikes, arguing they help stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.
This week, the Defense Department’s inspector general also released the findings from an investigation into Hegseth’s use of a Signal chat to post details about a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report concluded that the former FOX News’ anchor’s actions could have put U.S. personnel in harm’s way. In a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Saturday, Hegseth said he doesn’t “live with any regrets” over the his use of Signal.
President Trump has publicly backed the Pentagon chief, telling reporters Tuesday that “Pete is doing a great job.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the military’s second strike in September. However, behind-closed-doors, things could be different, The Altantic report claims.
“Trump has not been happy that a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are using Hegseth’s record as a reason to stand up to the White House, a further sign of cracks in what had until recently been unwavering GOP fealty to Trump,” the outlet said.
This week, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CNN that Hegseth was wrong to claim the inspector general’s report on his use of a Signal chat had exonerated him.
“No one can rationalize that as an exoneration,” Tillis said. “We know that mission information was outside of the classified setting that it was trusted to be in.”
On Friday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called on Hegseth to testify under oath about the boat strikes.
“I think that Congress, if they had any kind of gumption at all, would not be allowing this administration to summarily execute people that are suspected of a crime,” he told The Independent.
Still, a number of Republicans have stood by Hegseth and have argued the Pentagon is operating fine under his leadership. And a senior administration official told The Atlantic that the president cannot afford to fire Hegseth and endure another Senate confirmation battle.
“The people around the president have always sensed that Hegseth isn’t really qualified for the job,” this official said. “But he’s redeemed himself in the eyes of the president because he is truly devoted to Trump. That goes a long way. Taking Pete, with all his baggage, is just how it’s gonna be.”
At the same time, Trump has given no indication the boat strikes will slow down. Instead, he suggested the military campaign could escalate.
“Very soon we’re going to start doing it on land too,” the president said on Wednesday.
