United States President Donald Trump didn’t miss a chance to address defense secretary Pete Hegseth‘s recent controversies, sarcastically calling him the “least controversial person at the table” while patting his back.
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said, “I could start with Pete on the left because he is my least controversial person at the table,” and added, “We all know how good he is.”
Hegseth, 44, responded with laughter, stating “I think we’re controversial because we’re over the target” before discussing Trump’s first 100 days’ achievements and offering praise to the president.
“What we have seen since your election and the inauguration has been nothing short of a recruiting renaissance,” Hegseth said. “The men and women of America want to join the United States military led by President Donald Trump.”
Hegseth has recently faced scrutiny over two Signal group chat incidents and significant Pentagon departures. The first involved a chat established by national security adviser Mike Waltz where Hegseth shared Houthi attack plans. The second chat, involving his family members and lawyer, discussed similar matters, though Hegseth maintained it was “informal” and “unclassified.”
The Pentagon experienced notable departures, including Colin Carroll, Dan Caldwell, and Darin Selnick’s dismissals. Joe Kasper and John Ullyot also left, with Ullyot publishing a critical Politico piece about Hegseth’s leadership.
These events gained public attention through interviews with Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson, where former staff discussed Pentagon politics. Trump has maintained support for Hegseth, telling The Atlantic: “I think he’s gonna get it together. I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, Hegseth highlighted Pentagon achievements, including the “Golden Dome” missile defence system, F-47 fighter jet development, and border security measures. He concluded by stating, “We ripped wokeness out of the military” and “Because of your leadership, sir, I believe we’re making the military great again.” The cabinet meeting featured similar praise from other members.
