The White House has begun its search for a SECDEF replacement

By E.C. Browne

Per a recent exclusive, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the White House has started quietly searching for a new defense secretary.

The move follows mounting controversy around Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. NPR confirmed with the same official that, minutes after a senior U.S. military officer briefed him, Hegseth relayed advance details of last month’s Yemen strikes to his wife and brother via a Signal chat on his personal phone, a second non‑official chat first revealed by The New York Times.

Back in March, Hegseth had already shared plans for strikes on Houthi targets in a separate Signal thread with top White House figures that mistakenly included a journalist.

In recent weeks, four of Hegseth’s senior advisers have departed abruptly, some accused of leaking, and each has issued statements pointing to internal Defense Department infighting.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected claims that Hegseth is on the way out, posting on X that President Trump “stands strongly” behind him.

This is a developing story.