As Trump's defense secretary, Hegseth has come under fire for various reasons, including once saying that women should not be in combat roles and for his part in accidentally sharing what may have been classified military intelligence via a Signal group chat with the editor-in-chief of the political magazine The Atlantic.

President Donald Trump reasserted his support for Pete Hegseth in a Tuesday interview with ABC News, refusing to pander to a “stupid question” on his confidence in the defense secretary. Trump sat down for the exclusive interview with the network where he addressed several talking points from his first 100 days as president.