Donald Trump is standing by Pete Hegseth following revelations of a new Signal chat in which the US defence secretary is said to have shared sensitive information about last month’s US military strikes in Yemen with family members.
On Monday morning, as Democrats called for Hegseth to step down from his post, the US president said he continued to support the defence secretary, a former Fox News host.
“He is doing a great job,” Trump said while hosting the annual Easter Egg roll at the White House. “Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” the US president added, referring to the Iran-backed rebel group operating in Yemen that was targeted by the US.