The White House defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following reports that he disclosed sensitive military information in a signal chat with his wife and brother. While neither the administration nor Hegseth denied the communication took place, they dismissed the claims as leaks from disgruntled employees, insisting no classified material was revealed, Firstpost reported.

President Trump condemned the accusations as "fake news," blaming them on internal opposition: "He was tasked with eliminating negative individuals, so you don't always make friends." However, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has demanded Hegseth's dismissal.

The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Pentagon, with multiple senior officials departing and an ongoing internal investigation into information leaks. Notably, some of those who left were part of Hegseth’s original team, according to the Firstpost.

The incident follows an earlier Signal chat leak involving discussions of a military airstrike in Yemen.